A new soul for the angel of death
by kingleby
Summary: Garland has come back and now he wants Zidane as his new angel of death. A tale of fighting for your home, no matter what and realising sometimes betrayal is the only way. ZidaneDagger
1. tail trouble

This is my first fan fiction so be honest with reviews, basically Garland's spirit refuses to give up on his mission and comes back for Zidane in hope of making him become his angel of death. I know I'll probably suck but I need to do something to keep me sane with all this coursework. I would like to thank shadow for encouraging me to start writing this. Thank you ^_^.

Disclaimer: these characters don't belong to me (sigh) I could never think of things this good. Please don't sue all I have at the moment is a lot of blank paper what my work is suppose to be on.

A soul for the angel of death

The blue light surrounding him hurt Zidane's eyes like in so many of his faint memories. He tried to close his eyes tightly in hope of easing the pain its brightness brought to him but it seemed to be no different. He looked within the light not knowing what else to do when he suddenly began to hear someone calling out to him.

"_Come, my angel of death. It is time you completed the mission you were created for._" From beyond the light Garland stepped forward smiling with a look of hunger on his face. "_Kuja has been destroyed and now it is your turn to replace him as you were always meant to._" 

"No!" Zidane yelled. "Terra's gone; you can't use me to destroy Gaia in order to merge them together!" At this Garland merely laughed gazing around him and outstretching his hands like a child trying to fly.

"_You remember so little of what I taught you, but you will soon remember once my plan begins. There is no hope for your friends now, they will die before this is over and I will make sure it is you who will take their lives if you defy me any longer._"

"Leave us alone, there is nothing for you here. Why don't you be a good little ghost and disappear?" Zidane desperately ran at him only to find he went straight through feeling a sudden chill. Another cold laugh escaped Garland's lips.

"_Soon Zidane, you will be mine._"

"No! I'll never help you!" Zidane yelled covering his eyes helplessly as the light grew impossibly brighter. "I'll never help you!"

"Zidane! Zidane wake up!" Zidane quickly sat up greeted by the worried gaze of Dagger as she sat by him gently stroking his cheek. "Another nightmare?" Zidane went red realising she must have heard him all the way from her room and had come to check on him.

"Yeah, I dreamt that you and Quina were married and you were trying to French kiss, it was awful!" He told her grinning, she sighed with a look of disgust on her face. 

"Zidane I'm serious. It's been three months since you came back and every night you wake up screaming about 'never helping' someone. You can tell me what's wrong you know."

"It's nothing, don't worry yourself about it." He gently kissed her on the cheek and was moving towards her lips when the door suddenly opened and Steiner ran in, sword out ready to strike.

"What's going on, I heard screaming." Even though it was six in the morning he had his armour on.

"Gee, rusty do you ever take that armour off?"

"Was it you who caused the queen to scream? I'll hang you by your tail in the town square!"

"Are you saying I scream like a girl?" 

"T-that was you?" Steiner asked turning red. "Forgive me my queen, I didn't mean to make such a hasty accusation." 

"Let's just forget it and get some breakfast." Dagger cut in already heading toward the door. "Coming Zidane?" 

"I need to go into town." He said quickly, smiling apologetically.

"Okay, but make sure you're back for when Vivi and Mikoto arrive." 

"Fine."

"Don't be late!" She called to his retreating form as he left the room. She sighed knowing all too well that he was always late for everything.

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Zidane headed towards Ruby's theatre knowing he was already late to meet Blank; he began to run and almost knocked a hippo kid over. When he finally reached it he was ten minutes late.

"Zidane, there you are. You sure are late, I've been waiting ages!"

"I'm not that late! Did you get it?"

"Of course I did, I said I would didn't I?" He handed Zidane a small box and he quickly glanced inside, it was perfect.

"Thanks Blank." He said handing over the agreed price, he'd been saving up ever since he returned from the lifa tree and had finally earned enough to buy it.

"So when are you gonna ask her?"

"Tonight, everyone is coming and a big feast is coming soon. Vivi and Mikoto are coming from the Black Mage Village. I've already arranged everything."

"When are they arriving?"

"This afternoon."

"Better not be late then."

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"Where is he?" Steiner asked furiously as Vivi and Mikoto's flight landed before them.

"He's late." Dagger said simply no anger heard in her voice. "It's just how he is." It wasn't until Vivi and Mikoto had stepped off the airship that Zidane came running towards them with his tail dragging behind him on the floor. As he neared them his tail somehow wrapped itself around his legs and sent him falling face down on the floor near Dagger's feet.

"Ouch." Zidane whined.

"Are you okay?" She asked pulling him to his feet. "What happened to your tail?" 

"That's the reason I'm late. When I was in town I accidentally knocked into this hippo kid…

"His name is Hippaul." Vivi told him. "I race him sometimes."

"Really? Well I hope you beat him all the time because that little twit as revenge stepped on my tail really hard and now it won't even move anymore. I think it's broken." 

"Does it hurt?" Dagger asked as Zidane carefully picked up his tail and held it in both hands.

"It did at first but now its gone kind of numb." He emphasized the point by dropping it watching the tip hit the floor with a far-off look on his face. 

"Maybe you should get it cut off!" Steiner said unsympathetically. 

"No way!" You are not cutting my tail off! Without it I can't do back-flips!" Zidane quickly grabbed his tail and tied it around his waist so that no-one could get to it.

"Zidane calm down, no-one's going to chop it off." Dagger said glaring warningly at Steiner. "Steiner, will you send a soldier to Treno to bring Doctor Tot?"

"Yes, my Queen." Steiner replied saluting and then running off with his armour rattling away.

"You know it will grow back if they cut it off?" Mikoto said with a smirk.

"I know, but have you actually had it done? It's agony; not to mention when it starts to grow back again."

"Exactly when did this happen? It wasn't in Bran Bal." 

"It was when I first joined Tantalus." That was all he would say on the matter and both Dagger and Mikoto knew better than to question him further. They walked back to the castle which had been rebuilt bigger than before now containing enough guest rooms for everyone. 

"Maybe we should cancel the big feast," Dagger said, "if you're going to be in pain all night there's no point in making you sit around."

"No!" Zidane said a little too hastily. "I mean…Quina has been preparing all day, there's no point wasting the food now. Anyway like I said it's just gone numb, the worse that could happen is I fall from lack of balance."

"Okay," Dagger said eyeing him suspiciously, "but I don't think it should go on too long." As they continued to head back to the castle Zidane trailed behind trying to hide a smile.

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"I'm afraid I can't do anything for it Mr. Tribal, the best thing to do is cut it off." 

"No way!" Zidane yelled moving away from Doctor Tot

"Judging by what I've seen it will grow back in abut a week, I can also see it has already done so before become slightly longer because of it."

"I know," Zidane whined, "but it hurts." 

"Well unless you want to have a dead tail you have no choice." Zidane winced at the comment but slowly began unsheathing his dagger and walked out of the room towards his own.

"He wouldn't, would he?" Steiner asked alarmed.

"He would." Dagger told him as they heard a far-off scream of pain.

Sorry don't kill me! There is a good reason why I made Zidane do that honest! Well please review and tell me how much I suck at this ^_^ oh and there's something I want to ask, do the others know about Zidane being made to destroy Gaia and that Kuja's his brother? I know he told Dagger some of it but I don't know about the rest. Please help me out and then I can write more faster. ^_^


	2. consequences

Big thanks to Shadow, Trogdor and Dagger for reviewing you kept me writing ^_^ I'm sorry to say this but I'm posting this chapter and the next one may be a while because I have a heap of coursework to do and I've got two modular exams next week. I'll update as soon as possible though. Promise.

Freya glanced up above her as she entered Alexandria and saw the Hilde Garde soar above her. Everyone was arriving for the big feast being held that evening, she and Fratley had decided to walk from Burmecia which they had been re-pairing none-stop since the return of the Lifa tree. It had taken a year to restore and shortly after it had been Zidane had returned. The two Burmecians had spent the last three months helping Puck with his new duties as King seen as his father had died in Cleyra. It was strange being a royal advisor to a young King but Freya wasn't complaining.

"Come on, I want to see everyone before the feast begins." They quickly entered the castle and were escorted to the place everyone was waiting: outside Zidane's room. "Long time no see, but why are we standing out here?" Freya noticed both Zidane and Dagger where missing.

"I only just got here but Vivi said something's wrong with Zidane, but he won't say what." Eiko told her. "I'm not gonna wait here much longer!" She quickly barged in and reappeared a few moments later bright red.

Everyone went in to find Zidane sat with no top on while Doctor Tot examined the stump left of his tail as Dagger watched anxiously. From the look on Zidane's face he was in a lot of pain but he didn't complain as Doctor Tot bandaged him up.

"What happened?" Freya asked in alarm.

"Has there been an attack? Why wasn't I informed?" Cid questioned. 

"It's gone, my beautiful tail is gone!" Zidane whined looking awfully pale.

"Calm down Mr. Tribal. It will grow back, there's nothing to be upset about."

"Nothing to be upset about! Why don't we cut your beak off and see how upset you get!" He quickly pulled a brown shirt on and moved further away from Doctor Tot.

"What I mean is that at least your life isn't in any danger by cutting it off, it's not lethal to you." 

"How would you know?" Zidane shot back making everyone snap to attention.

"Zidane, is your life at risk because of this?" Dagger asked noticing how very pale he really was. He didn't answer but instead collapsed on the bed no moving. "Zidane!"

"I'm fine. I just want the world to stop spinning."

"That's it, I'm cancelling the feast and looking after you until you're better. Sorry everyone, I know you came a long way…"

"No! I won't let you do that! I'm fine, you don't have to cancel the feast because of me." Dagger just stared at him as his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"I don't think so, look at you for Gaia's sake!"

"It's just a consequence, I'll be fine." 

"You're planning something aren't you? Tell me." Dagger said folding her arms and glaring at him. Zidane blushed under her gaze causing her suspicion to rise. 

"I wouldn't put it past a thief to have some trick up his sleeve." Steiner commented.

"Hey! I'm retired, anyway what could I steal when I'm in this state? Some dirt from the castle grounds?" 

"He's right Steiner, let's just continue with the feast as planned." Dagger said wearily heading towards the door. "Let's get ready, it begins in half an hour."

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Zidane sat down on the chair for once not having to turn it around for his tail not to get squashed. He tried to listen to the conversation going on around him but all he could hear was his own blood pumping loudly in his ears. His vision had become blurry causing him to close his eyes in attempt to ease his aching head. 

He re-opened his eyes as the feast was brought in but the very thought of touching it made his stomach turn over. 

"Aren't you eating Zidane?" Dagger asked worriedly, he could only shake his head as the others continued eating and talking. No one noticed the absence of Zidane's usual chatter at first but soon realised it was a lot quieter than usual. One by one they turned to look in his direction only to find his eyes closed and his food untouched. 

"Zidane?" Vivi asked uncertainly. Zidane vaguely hearing his name opened his aching eyes and stared un-focusing at him.

"I didn't know you were bringing your kids Vivi." He said eventually as he rested his head on Dagger's shoulder.

"I knew this was a bad idea." She mumbled taking off her glove and placing a cool hand on his forehead. "He's burning up bad, I have to let him rest…"

"No!" Zidane said lifting his head with a new found strength of determination. "I'm fine, in fact I really want to go for a walk."

"Are you crazy? You can barely lift your head!" 

"Actually, my Queen it might be better for him to keep active until he is forced to stay in bed for rest." Doctor Tot interrupted politely. 

"Okay, but I'm going with him, everyone else please stay and enjoy the react of the feast." To her surprise Zidane didn't argue with this suggestion but merely let her help him up. She placed his arm around her shoulder and supported his weight as they walked out of the castle and onto the grounds.

Zidane smiled awkwardly despite the pain he was feeling. He wasn't sure whether Doctor Tot had figured out his plan and decided to help or whether it really was a medical reason. He decided to ask him later once he had done what he was now planning.

"Are you alright?" She asked noticing he had begun to lean on her more heavily. "You're trembling again." 

"Yeah…maybe we should sit down for a minute though." She quickly dragged him to a bunch knowing he couldn't have suggested it unless he really needed to. Zidane using as much effort as he had lifted his head and looked around where they had stopped. Through his blurry vision he could see they were in the garden which was lit up so even in the dark you could see its beauty. *Perfect* he thought.

"It's so dark." Zidane said quietly.

"Zidane, it's only just beginning to get dark. I should get Doctor Tot…"

"No! Please just wait a little while longer, something's about to happen." Dagger didn't protest knowing Zidane didn't have the energy to begin arguing, she just sat by him half-supporting him as they gazed at the garden and the now visible twin moons in the sky.

Suddenly the sky was filled with exploding fireworks so beautiful it almost hurt to look at them. Dagger sighed with admiration vaguely aware that Zidane had half-kneeled, half-fallen in front of her. This soon caught her attention however when she realised with a start what he was about to do. 

"Dagger, from the moment I saw you I knew you were the one I was looking for, the one I would spend the rest of my life with. Even when you found out I was a thief sent to kidnap you we were still friends. Throughout our journey I could feel myself falling in love with you and when I thought I had lost you after the death of your mother I knew I did for certain. I couldn't bear the thought of not being with you so much it hurt. You knew that I had been sent to destroy Gaia yet you still accepted me and wanted me.

"I don't know how I ever became so lucky as to have you, I know I don't deserve you for so many reasons but after all we've been through I need to ask you this. Garnet Til Alexandros 17th, my Dagger, will you marry me?" for a moment Dagger was silent not truly believing she had heard him correctly. But her face soon broke into a big happy grin and she hugged Zidane tightly.

"Yes! Yes! I'd love to!" She laughed taking her gloves so Zidane could slip the ring on her finger. She gazed at it enchanted by it's beauty. It was coated with small diamonds with a garnet in the middle.

"It's beautiful."

"A beautiful ring for a beautiful lady." He told her smiling, he kissed her passionately both of them trembling from the force of it. Dagger wasn't sure whether it was the kiss causing Zidane to tremble or his illness, maybe it was a little of both. As they broke apart Dagger noticed Zidane's eyes didn't re-open and he was leaning heavily on her once more.

"Zidane?" When he didn't answer she carefully laid him on the bench and called out, "Help, someone help! Something's wrong!"

I'm already half way through the next chapter but like I said I can't update for a while. But that doesn't mean you can't review, I love reviews they will keep me going through the revision and essays ^_^ Anyway thanks for reading and being so patient.


	3. true potion

Yay! Finally I've finished all my coursework! Now all I have to do is learn my lines for some speaking and listening assessment, then normal homework and then it's off to work experience in a week. Oh well, at least I've finished the coursework and I promised you guys I would update once I'd finished French and English (which turned into French, English, two sciences and maths). So here's the next bit then ^_^ 

Dagger stared down at Zidane's pale face coated with sweat. He hadn't woken yet from the previous night and it was now noon. She hadn't left his side since she had been helped by a guard to drag him back to his room. The others had come to visit noticing the ring on Dagger's finger but not thinking it was the right time to comment on it. No-one recommended that the Queen leave and get some sleep knowing she would not leave his side while he was in this state.

"Your highness, members of Tantalus are here to see Zidane." Steiner said entering the room. Everyone else had left to rest leaving only Dagger with Zidane.

"Let then come in, maybe they know how to help, with it happening when he was with them."

No sooner had Steiner left the room then the other members of Tantalus came in the smiles on their faces falling as soon as they saw Zidane.

"What happened?" Blank asked eyeing the lack of a tail.

"Some hippo kid stepped on it and he had to cut it off."

"He looks pretty bad, have you given him anything?" 

"There's nothing to give, nothing is working." Dagger said tearfully.

"Hey don't worry your highness, this has happened with us before and we have just the thing in Limblum."

"Really? Steiner prepare a ship and head to Limblum with Blank."

"Yes, my Queen." They quietly left and Dagger began to feel hope for Zidane. As they left the others re-entered obviously been awoken by the arrival of the thief's.

"What's going on?" Vivi asked sleepily.

"They can help Zidane!" Dagger called happily. At her words Zidane's eyes fluttered open slightly almost drooping closed again immediately. "Zidane?"

"If I ever find that hippo kid…" His voice was faint and slightly croaky, he broke off and swallowed heavily a new layer of sweat covering his forehead. 

"Shush, don't use up your energy. Blank went to get a potion to help you, you just hang on till then. Anyway you can't just propose and then die on me."

"Proposed?" Baku spoke up grabbing Dagger's hand roughly looking intently at the ring. "Hey! This had real diamonds in it! I told you if your skinny ass isn't in Tantalus anymore than you don't steal! Especially when you're with a Queen!"

"I didn't!" Zidane said weakly. "I had a lot of gil from our journey, fighting all the monsters…"

"Don't lie to me boy! You have become a traitor to your own kind!" At this Zidane glanced at Dagger and their gaze met. Baku noticed Zidane's gaze leave him and began to shake him like a rag doll before anymore could react. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you! For seven years I raised you as if you were my own kid and then you tell me you want to leave and look for some blue light. I let you go and a year later you come crawling back like some worm moaning about how you never could find it and then you asked whether you could join again for the kidnapping of the princess. Then what do you do? You fall in love and propose to her." Baku finally stopped shaking Zidane and let go of him retreating to the door.

"Boss…" Zidane began quietly.

"You know what? I've sacrificed a lot for you Zidane but now I don't want anything to do with you. When I first found you hiding in the shadows of Treno I thought I'd help you, make you look more human to help. Didn't know you would nearly die from it. BWAHHAHAHA!!"

"You cut his tail off?" Dagger asked.

"Hey!" I didn't know it could kill him, I just thought he would be happier without all those gawkers. But I guess you hold a grudge against me for that, well I'm leaving now and I don't ever see your monkey tail again." With that he left the room leaving everyone bewildered by the out-burst. 

Dagger glanced at Zidane and swore for a moment he had tears in his eyes before he collapsed on his pillow trying to control his trembling body.

"You're engaged?" Eiko finally burst looking slightly hurt.

"Congratulations!" Freya said happily trying to ignore how Zidane was becoming even paler. 

"I didn't steal it." Zidane said weakly, Dagger smiled stroking his cheek gently.

"I know."

"You do realise Zidane that you will become king?" Cid asked.

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about that now." Dagger said quickly. "Just hold on until Blank gets back."

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It had been half an hour since Blank had left and Zidane could feel himself growing weaker. As he listened to the others make wedding plans all he could concentrate on was keeping his eyes open. He could barely feel Dagger's hand in his anymore, she had tried once to remove his gloves off but he had protested with so much strength he didn't have she had given up. He didn't want her to see what was engraved on his right hand; he didn't want anyone to know.

"_Do you really think you can hide it from them? They may have guessed what you are but have you told them everything?_" Garland sniggered. Zidane realised with a start that he must have fallen asleep. "_I'm coming for you Zidane, do you really want them to find out from me, or when you are cutting their throats?_"

"Zidane! Wake up man!" Zidane groaned as he tried to open his eyes feeling the pain all over his body once more. "Come on, I can't give you this stuff unless you're awake." 

With a great effort Zidane opened his eyes and saw Blank's red hair through his dim vision.

"Man, you look like hell. Even worse than when you thought Dagger had dumped you."

"What?" Zidane heard Dagger ask.

"…Nothing, here." Zidane felt himself being moved into a sitting position and a cool potion glass touch his lips. The substance that poured down his throat was his new idea of heaven as his vision cleared and pain dimmed into the back of his mind. He snatched it from Blank's grasp and drank greedily and deeply fearing that if he stopped he would feel the pain again.

"Whoa! Don't drink it all!" Blank snatched it away leaving Zidane feeling powerless. He felt stronger though realising he wasn't struggling to keep his eyes open, in fact he could blink effortlessly. He let out a whine as Blank placed the half-empty bottle into a bag which Zidane suspected contained even more of the substance.

"What is that?" Dagger asked amazed and relieved at how much better Zidane seemed. 

"It's called a true potion. What it dies is bring out your inner strength or something like that. If you had hidden power you didn't know about this would be how you brought it out. We kind of gave it to him by accident; we didn't know he had hidden power then. 

"That's why you can't give him too much; we don't want him to become some angel of death going around destroying Gaia."

"What?" Freya asked looking confused.

"Never mind. Anyway give him half a bottle every day and no more. That way he'll be walking in a few days."

"Thank you." Dagger said surprising him by giving him a desperate hug. It was then he noticed the ring on her finger. 

"So he got to ask you before he collapsed? Did he use the fireworks or did he rush it so he could do it before he became bed-sick?"

"There was fireworks, moonlight, a dazzling garden…" Dagger said dreamily.

"And a half-dead boyfriend." Zidane out in helpfully grinning at the look on her face. 

"It was still perfect." She argued.

"I try." He said pulling her close and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Now go get some rest."

"I beg your pardon? I thought I was in charge here."

"Don't use that royal tone on me. I know you enough to guess you probably haven't left me since the garden let alone had any sleep. You look exhausted."

"Not as bad as you do." She argued.

"Well I'll get some sleep if you do."

"Okay, but I'm still not leaving this room." Zidane sighed heavily and Dagger, knowing she had won, gave him a little smile.

"Fine." He said patting the bed beside him, Dagger got the point and sat down making herself comfy by laying her head on his chest and hugging him tightly.

"M-my Queen!" Steiner shrieked. "I must make my views clear on this matter!"

"Steiner, we're not going to do anything. Anyway you should get used to it seen as we're getting married."

Steiner's face turned purple from rage at the thought but he merely nodded and left the room, everyone else followed.

"Sure you want to sleep?" Zidane said teasingly but with a tremor of fear underneath it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just not having pleasant dreams lately."

"Don't worry, I'm here with you." She said softly allowing Zidane to calm enough to fall asleep.

There you go ^_^ I can write more in a week's time after school's finished for work experience. Until then I'll have to do work, but once it's all out of the way I'll write more. Promise. In the mean time reviews are a very good encouragement to work faster and write sooner ^_^ 


	4. remembering forgotton memories

Okay just like to say a huge thank you to all those who reviewed. I know true potion was a lame name but once something sticks in my head it stays, so I'm afraid we'll all have we live with it ^_^. Also I have to tell you Kuja will come into it and side with Zidane but it could take a while. Garland will be coming in soon though. 

Anyway if you're that bored to be reading this story I would like to advise you to read these really great stories:

**__**

Lifa's soul by shadow: this story is so awesome it's about if Zidane was part of the lifa tree and if Madain Sari hadn't been destroyed (so Dagger is Sarah). ^_^

**__**

Reverse images by Forbidden Wings: this is so cool, in this Zidane is the prince and Dagger and Vivi are the thieves. I love the story idea and the plot is great ^_^

**__**

Dilemma by Angel+devil=me: set in a real life kind of way. Dagger has just moved to America and meets Zidane and gang, except he has a girlfriend (guess who) chapter five is so funny and you'll love it when you see who Dagger's boyfriend is ^_^

**__**

Happily ever after, not by Dagger: in this Zidane never came back from the lifa tree and Vivi has just died. Dagger is training with Garland because he says he can teach her how to bring them back to life.

**__**

Part of the skies by aya-yahiko: this has Dagger as Sarah in it but the princess is also in, this is really cool ^_^

**__**

I'll never tell by Ravyn Crescent: really really long, but it is an amazing story, so far its 58 chapters, 58! Worth the read, definitely worth the read.

**__**

Will you be my canary? By Aquarius Mistress: in this they are at a drama school, Dagger and Zidane meet on the way there and it isn't a happy moment. But they find out that they'll be seeing a lot of each other because on of her new friends is going out with his friend. This story was the first I read and it is so cool. You have to read the part where Zidane accidentally knocks Dagger out ^_^ 

Also look at **_Love and hate bydevilz-pheonix666,_**

Stole by fanfasymei-aqua

Royalty and commoners don't mix, right? By Taylor Marie

Final fantasy PUNK'D by ff-aime-AM-sp0rks

Sunday morning after by Vash's Girl

Sk8r Boi by KawaiiLunaKitty

How long have you been like this? By Laine 

You can reach any of these through my favourite list and other ones too, mostly from ff10 or Andromeda (I love Harper ^_^). Anyway here's the next part of the story.

Disclaimer: have to add in this that the language Terra is not my idea but I did jumble the letters around to make it because in the game it just talked to him and wasn't really written.

Last time Zidane had taken the true potion he had remembered the blue light of Terra. This time he remembered more.

The blue light was all around him but this time he could see beyond it, he looked out and saw Garland standing in front of him smiling proudly. Zidane reached out a hand towards him only to find it hit a glass wall inches away from Garland. It was then he looked down and saw his small figure and many small tubes sticking into his body.

_I'm in a glass tube_ he realised, fear swelling up inside him. _Is this my birth?_

"Kuja." Garland's distant voice commanded outside the tube. "Come and see your replacement." 

Zidane could barely believe his eyes as the young genome stepped forward. This Kuja didn't only look like a child but seemed to have the playfulness of one too. He had no anger or hatred in his eyes as he gazed with wonder at Zidane.

"Will he come out?" Kuja asked sounding so child-like Zidane began to question his sanity 

"In a few days he will be able to live outside his tube and his training will begin."

"Can I look after him?"

"You will show him what it is to be an angel of death."

"What have you named him? Is it like mine?" 

"He is too good to have a name like yours. I gave you the name meaning pain in Terran. But I have used the older ancient language of Terra to come up with his name. He is Zidane, destruction."

"What's he going to destroy?"

"Gaia, my worthless defect of a Genome, he will become the destroyer of Gaia."

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"Gl! U dcg'm ybsckb mtb wbvmjczbp cq enun!" Zidane screamed fighting off the covers. _Covers?_

"Zidane! Shush it's okay."

"U dcg'm wc um!"

"What did he say?" Vivi asked looking hopefully at Dagger.

"I don't know, it must have been in Terran."

"I wasn't aware he knew it." Freya said carefully.

"Well he is from there." Zidane groaned wishing they would stop talking about him as if he wasn't there. Dagger immediately knelt down beside him. Zidane stared at them trying to make himself believe he was there with them and not in some tube. Just to make sure he stretched out his hands and touched Dagger's cheek laughing slightly from relief.

"Zidane, are you okay?"

"U hupb um tbjb, I'k gcm mjnrrbw ngzkcjb."

"It would help greatly if you were speaking Gaian!" Freya said annoyed.

"He wanted to look after me, why would he want that? He hates me, I cost him everything, that's why I'm here, because he left me." Zidane said ignoring the others.

"Are you talking about the boss?" Blank asked. "He doesn't hate you man, he's just kinda pissed off." 

"Garland said I was his replacement, yet he wanted to look after me. Be a brother."

"Garland?"

"Brother?"

"What do you mean 'replace'?"

"Do you mean Kuja?" This was from Dagger who sat down on the bed and tried to look him straight in the eyes as she spoke. "What do you mean he wanted to look after you?" 

"He used to be nice, when he was little he used to care. He hadn't yet been disrupted by Garland."

"I could never believe that monster had ever been good!" Steiner argued his hands shaking from anger. Zidane wasn't listening, a new and terrifying realisation had finally hit him. _Of course, why hadn't I seen it sooner?_

"Zidane, what's wrong?" Dagger asked quietly. He wanted to tell her but he couldn't bring himself to say it out-loud. Garland's words were ringing in his ears, _they will die before this is over and I will make sure it is you who will take their lives if you defy me any longer._

"Please no." Zidane begged quietly feeling a tear fall down his face but no longer caring what the others thought. "It can't be true, I need to be sure." He glanced around the room and saw that Mikoto wasn't there, he sighed and began to stand up only to be pushed back down by Dagger.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked with her royal tone looking as annoyed as Steiner.

"I need to talk to Mikoto." He said desperately trying to get up again, but once again Dagger kept him down and he was still too weak to struggle for long.

"Steiner, will you please bring Mikoto here?" Immediately Steiner saluted and left the room. "We'll give you some time alone." dagger said lightly kissing him on the lips and exiting the room, the others soon followed. 

Zidane waited impatiently for a few minutes he closed his eyes and tried to picture the young Kuja once more.

"What is it you want so desperately?" Mikoto asked startling Zidane with her sudden presence.

"I need to know about my life in Bran Bal." Zidane said shakily.

"You had already been placed on Terra when I was given life." She said simply.

"What! But you knew about my tail being cut off after Bran Bal."

"Time does not flow in Terra, if you had cut it then it would never have grown back, even when you did finally come to Gaia. And anyway, there was no record of it."

"Record?" 

"Garland kept a record of Kuja and your progress. He let me read them in case I needed to replace you one day." 

"Is that why he made you? To replace me because I had gone to Gaia."

"Yes, I was meant to be a strong angel of death. But with you and Kuja gone he had no guide line of how to make me that powerful."

"These records, id they say anything about the soul created which was meant for the angel of death?"

"It mentioned a destructive soul created which was meant for the angel of death, but it didn't go into detail."

"What did it say exactly?"

"'_Once the angel of death becomes of age they will be given the destructive soul in order to begin the chaos on Gaia._' Does that help?" 

__

"It explains a lot, mainly why Garland is after me."

"So he lives?"

"In a way, but then he wasn't really alive in the first place." Seeing Mikoto's puzzled expression Zidane just smiled. "It doesn't matter, it's not important right now."

"What will you tell your friends?" 

"The truth, but first I must be sure I am right. I have to dream and remember more of Bran Bal. How Kuja was given the soul of destruction."

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It had been a few months since Zidane's life began in Bran Bal and already Kuja had taught him many things. He could read and write in both Gaian and Terran and had been informed of the reason he existed. The explanation puzzled him and he decided to ask Kuja about his uncertainty.

"Why must we destroy Gaia?" He asked already deciding he preferred to speak in Gaian.

"We will not destroy it, just merge with it so our planet will not die."

"Why will it die if we don't merge with Gaia?"

"Our planet is very old, so old that it needs to absorb newer planets to stop from dying."

"Why do we have to kill the people of Gaia then?" Why can't we just live with them on their planet?"

"Because…just because we have to. Now Garland wants me to start teaching you how to access your hidden power."

"I don't have any power." Zidane told him plainly while reading a book on Gaia.

"Yes you do, Garland put it within you. All you have to do is bring it out."

"How?" Zidane asked suddenly a lot more interested, thinking of how he could visit Gaia with his hidden power.

"All you have to do is think of the destruction you want to cause and then the power will come to you." 

"Destruction?"

"Yeah, like the destruction of Gaia." Zidane fell silent at his words, his sudden excitement to seize his hidden power evaporated as quickly as it had come.

"Zidane, why aren't you trying?" 

"I don't want to destroy anything." He told him simply turning back to his book and peering at a picture of Alexandria castle.

"But you're an angel of death, it's what you're made for."

"I don't want to be one anymore, why can't we just be angels instead? Why can't we just live on Gaia? I'd love to live there."

"Is that really what you want?" Kuja questioned quietly.

"Yeah." Zidane answered not looking up from the picture. "I want to have my body grow and live like they do. At least until we have to destroy it, just for a little while."

"Maybe you can always live there. Maybe there is another way after all." Kuja said too quietly for Zidane to hear. It was in that moment he realised what he must do, for the sake of his brother.

Okay I can't write anymore until I figure this one thing out, maybe you lot can help me again. Was Madain Sari destroyed ten years ago? I'm not totally sure and its really important I get it right. Anyway please review, here's the translation's to the language:

Gc! U dcg'm ybsckb mtb wbvmjczbp cq enun! - No! I won't become the destroyer of Gaia!

U dcg'm wc um! - I won't do it!

U hupb um tbjb, u'k gcm mjnrrbw ngzkcjb - I like it here, I'm not trapped anymore 

__

I know the language sucks and there would be no possible way they could speak that but I needed Kuja's name to mean pain and I needed Zidane to start speaking it. If everyone really hate it I'll try and do something different ^_^ how's that sound?


	5. it begins

Sorry it's been so long but work experience is very time consuming and I've recently got a puppy so every time I've sat down to write this he's been whining about food/ playing with him/ peeing on the floor and wanting me to clean it up so my mum won't find out etc. I love him to bits though even though he wakes me up at four or five in the morning ^_^ this chapter is a bit shorter than the others but I haven't really had time and I figured something is better than nothing. 

****

Twelve years ago:

The genome created with the body of a fourteen year old silently cast a sleep spell on his four year old brother. In reality Zidane was only a few months by Gaia's time while Kuja had nearly fitted into his years being now twelve. Although no time flowed in Terra and therefore their bodies didn't grow Kuja knew that on Gaia, with him having a soul, he would so Zidane could live a normal life there. He quickly used his power to destroy Zidane's memory knowing he would never be truly happy unless he could start over completely.

With a heavy heart Kuja carried the young genome to his silver dragon and mounted quickly knowing Garland would learn of his intentions soon. Rising up from the Shimmering Island he made a quick scan around the planet searching for shadows in which to hide his brother. 

He found a city enveloped in darkness but also surrounded with monsters. Praying that Zidane would be able to fight them off he lay his brother just outside the city. He was about to turn and leave when he thought to give him a weapon. He pulled out two daggers he had bought in Terra long ago and placed them in Zidane's arms. Smiling slightly down at Zidane's sleeping form Kuja turned and re-mounted his dragon knowing Garland wouldn't risk exposing Terra to find Zidane again. For now his brother was safe.

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For the fist time since his injury Zidane woke to find he was alone. The only time he had been left alone was waiting for Mikoto the day before. With the new amount of true potion in his system he had remembered his conversation with Kuja, but what had happened after he didn't know. Maybe Kuja had then realised Zidane was a threat and dropped him on Gaia as he had once been told or maybe Garland had forced him to become and angel of death.

Zidane tried to remember anything more, tried to remember why Kuja had suddenly turned evil and decided to get rid of the threat that he was. He suddenly stopped his line of thought remembering his own words spoken long ago, _Why can't we just live on Gaia instead? I'd love to live there._ Maybe Kuja hadn't done it from hate at all. Maybe…

"Zidane!" Eiko suddenly exploded into the room causing Zidane to fall off his bed and hit the floor. "You have to come! Something really weird is happening." 

Ignoring his pain and exhaustion Zidane climbed to his feet and stumbled towards the stairs. He could see the others peering outside the castle near the foot of the stairs. In his haste and exhaustion he found himself tumbling down the stairs and being stopped by Amarant's feet. 

"What's wrong?" He wheezed laying helplessly on the floor.

"Eiko! I told you not to bother him!" Dagger said.

"He needs to know, I mean they are his people after all." At this Zidane sprung to his feet and peered out of the doors while leaning heavily on them for support.

The sight that greeted him was one he would never forge, one which would haunt him for as long as he lived as the moment he realised free will was a mere illusion for him and the other genomes. He saw all the genomes gathered around outside the palace all staring north: the direction of the lifa tree. No words were spoken between them but as Zidane wandered out among them he could somehow sense their thoughts. 

"_The time has finally come._"

"_The time which we become more than mere vessels._"

Zidane focused on where they were all staring and could soon feel what all the others were. Despite everything he smiled, it was such a good feeling yet he knew it should be wrong.

"Zidane what's wrong?" Dagger asked, Zidane turned to her smiling.

"Gcmtuge ur djcge, khz hcob." He told her happily. "Um'v rbjqbsm."

"What?" Zidane tried to think of a way to explain this sensation, he then remembered the words Garland had once spoken in his mind, perfect to describe it all.

"The body becomes a vessel which greets a new soul." He told her, at this Dagger's eyes widened with astonishment and he was vaguely aware she was calling to Amarant. He could feel the process beginning and he laughed happily. _Soon I will have the power to destroy._ But part of him frowned. _I don't want this! I will kill my friends if this happens. I have to fight, but how do you fight something you were born for? _He struggled with his mind, trying to ward off the power, the new soul. A sharp pain burst through him and he collapsed to the floor clutching his head, trying desperately to shield his mind. 

"I don't want this!" He screamed out.

"_But it's what you are!_" Came Garland's voice. "_You can not fight it off forever!_" He needed to more, get out of the line to the lifa tree until this stopped. He tried to move but he didn't dare take his concentration from shielding his mind. "_You can't win, you can't save your precious Gaia._"

All of a sudden the connection broke and the pain vanished. Zidane's head throbbed and he couldn't stop shaking from shock and disbelief. He glanced up and saw he was in the castle with Amarant standing over him. 

"Dagger asked me to carry you in." He explained walking off into a corner as Dagger knelt by Zidane's side.

"Zidane, are you okay?" She asked desperate tears pouring down her face as she kissed him with desperation. Zidane couldn't bring himself to shrug off his despair and tell her everything was fine like he had been for the past three months. He couldn't even bare to look at her beautiful face, knowing what he now knew.

"It's hopeless." He said to no-one in particular. "I can't fight him anymore, hewn he comes I'll become his puppet."

"Who? Garland? But I thought he was dead."

"He neither live nor is dead, he has found a dimension where these two ways are the same."

"What!"

"I think it's time I told you everything." He said quietly. 

**_Translations:_**

Gcmtuge ur djcge, kHz hcob- nothing is wrong, my love.

Um'v rbqbsm- it's perfect

I know this chapter was a bit weird but believe me you haven't even heard of weird yet ^_^ if you really think it was stupid and made no sense tell me and I'll change it. Reviews are good, they'll inspire me stay awake longer to write the new chapters.


	6. the whole truth

Before I forget like I did in the last chapter I need to answer a question asked, yes the true potion has a role in the story it's really important that you remember what it does. Garland in soon and then Kuja isn't far behind for those Kuja fans ^_^ thanks for the help with madain sari I needed to know whether Kuja would drop Zidane during the destruction of madain sari or sooner than that. I know I made Zidane seem young but I don't think how long he has been alive effects the age he acts. I could have made him older but I figured that he was only at Bran Bal a little while in order to have no memory of it at all. Like in the game Dagger has that dream about her past because she was six or something and I really needed it to be because of the true potion that he remembered the blue light. Kuja destroying his mind I believe could of caused damage if there was a lot of it so therefore I did that. It explains how he knows his name in this chapter. If you hate it then I'll change it or if the excuse doesn't make sense I'll think of another one ^_^ anyway here's some more (sunset is asleep so I can write without him barking his head off, yes that's right I named my dog sunset. I don't care if you think it's a stupid name I love it and I've even got a little name tag with it engraved on. He's so cute!):

They were all either sitting impatiently or pacing in the conference room in the castle as they waited for Zidane to begin his story. All dreaded what might be said already having an idea what it would be but not wanting their fears to be confirmed. Many times Zidane had begun to open his mouth only to re-close it after glancing at the expecting faces. Dagger noticed him struggling and squeezed his hand reassuringly. He sighed heavily before he finally began, his gaze cast down on the polished floor.

"I guess I should start at the beginning then. Before I even existed, to the time when Terra first began to fall." He was greeted with silence so with a heavy heart he continued. "The planet of Terra was very old and for a long time it stayed alive by absorbing newer planets. This time it was going to be Gaia. All I know about it is that they tried once before the eidolons were around and they failed, the people of Terra then had their souls sleeping waiting until the mission is completed…"

"You mean they are dead?" Steiner interrupted receiving a glare from everyone else.

"Yes, in a way I guess they are. But this is my guess to what happened. Garland told us before he fought us that he himself was created, I think they made him before they died and made it his mission to complete their work and to also build vessels in which their soul could return to once everything was finished. They are the Genomes." Again there was silence so Zidane quickly continued not daring to see their reactions. "They wait for a Terran soul to enter so they will become more than mere vessels, after all it was what they were made for. They have no soul and therefore they have no choice or independence of their own."

"Are you..?" Freya began.

"No. I was made for a different purpose. I was made to help Garland accomplish his mission." The stunned silence was once Zidane wouldn't forget, suddenly his friends looked at him as if he were an alien, and the scary part of it was that they were absolutely right. 

"Garland knew he wouldn't be able to do it alone, especially now that Gaia had the protection of the eidolons and their tribe of summoners. He began by making a prototype, a test genome and gave it such destructive power barely anything would be able to stop it. But he soon realised that the soul he had created to go with it was less cooperative than he liked. He had made the soul to be temporary and it would not last forever as other souls did, this seemed to have a bad effect on the soul itself. It was soft, gentle not really understanding the violence it was meant to commit but aware one day he would have to do it. Because of this Garland decided to improve this by making the real thing, the angel of death which would help him achieve his goals. And so I was created in my glass tube, the second angel of death." Zidane hesitated on what he was about to do next but decided they should really know everything, even the mark he had been petrified of showing even his beloved Dagger. 

Zidane slowly began to pull off his right glove, something he had only done in private for many years. He extended his hand so the other could see what was written in Terran.

Ngebh cq wbnmt 2

Zidane 

"That's how I knew my name." Zidane explained not looking away from his hand at their expressions.

"What does it say?" Eiko asked her voice wavering slightly.

"Angel of death 2. Zidane is from the ancient Terran language meaning destruction, so really I am called destruction in your language, I just couldn't remember the ancient language before we visited Terra. I could read the other one but I didn't know what it meant until I talked to Garland in Pandemonium." Zidane dropped his hand by his side risking a glance at Dagger as she took it in her hand and gently kissed it, her way of saying it didn't matter to her. The small action filled him with hope, _at least Dagger doesn't hold my existence against me, I may have her still after all this has ended, if it ever ends._

"To Garland's disappointment despite the amount of power he had put in me and the more obedient he had tried to make my soul it turned out the problem was something different. Our souls were new and innocent; he needed a soul which was filled with only hatred and obedience rather than all the other emotions too. So he began to create the destructive soul, I'm not sure how I now this but it's just appearing in my head, I don't know how he even made it. All I remember from living in Bran Bal is that Kuja used to be kind and loving; he wanted to look after me. I believe that Garland finished the destructive soul and placed it in Kuja seen as I was no longer there. But because his other soul was so disobedient he must have turned against him, deciding to complete the mission so he could take over Terra instead. Garland wouldn't have been too worried about that because he had made his soul to last only a while and he could then re-claim the destructive soul from the cycle of souls using the lifa tree."

"Well we mucked that up for him!" Eiko said proudly despite everything.

"Yes, but you saw what is happening out there. He's letting the souls of Terra free so they can join the genomes. If he has managed to save the souls of Terra he will have been able to reclaim the destructive soul. I felt it, and it almost had me. What happened to my brother almost happened to me, if Amarant hadn't…" Zidane fell quiet barely noticing the silence as he shivered with images of him flying on a silver dragon wearing Kuja's outfit. _I'm never doing that._

"I'm confused." Freya began. "If Garland had lost you and Kuja wasn't going to last how did he expect to complete his mission?"

"Mikoto is the third angel of death; she was made after I was dropped on Gaia to use after Kuja was gone. But without Kuja or me there as an idea of what to have she isn't as strong, I guess he planned to find my soul when it returned to the lifa tree and use a genome vessel for it."

"But isn't your body the one with the power?" Dagger asked.

"My body is just a vessel like the others except it has a soul in it and it has been able to grow while on Gaia. It's as expendable as the others were meant to be." Zidane saw Dagger shiver at this and he decided not to mention it again.

"So the souls of Terra are now entering the other vessels… I mean genomes?" Hilda asked speaking for the first time.

"Yes, which means Garland will soon be coming for me. If he can't have the soul enter me the way the others are he will come here. I should leave here and make sure he doesn't hurt you." 

"You are not going to run away again!" Dagger immediately protested taking hold if his hands and making him look into her eyes. "Is this how you want to solve the problem?" She asked just as she had that day in Pandemonium. "We have defeated Garland before and we can do it again if we stand together."

"It's not Garland I'm worried about, it's me." Dagger looked up at him confused and dread filled Zidane as he realised he would have to tell her it. "When he puts that soul in me I will become like Kuja was and we are made to bring chaos on Gaia. We are suppose to bring war to the nation and kill… kill the Queen of Alexandria." Dagger's eyes widened with fear and d Zidane quickly pulled himself from her grasp and turned his back on her. He couldn't bare to see the look on her face, couldn't bare to see the realisation that he was a monster to her. 

"You wouldn't kill the Queen." Steiner said confidently. "You love her."

"That has nothing to do with it." Zidane said bitterly. "Kuja loved me as a brother should but he tried to kill me more than once." Steiner let out a choked gasp at this and remained silent with the thought in his mind. A tear trickled down Zidane's face as the room filled with a feeling of hopelessness, despair and fear of their friend. 

"There has to be a way to stop it." Vivi said desperately. "There must be something we can do."

"There is a way we can prevent it." Zidane said smiling at them.

"What?" He unsheathed his dagger and placed it over his heart.

"If you destroy this body then it will gain you time to stop Garland before he finds my soul again and places it in another body. It's not the best plan but it will gain you time and if you can defeat the rest of the genomes then you will be able to get to Garland and stop him."

"No." Dagger said firmly.

"Dagg…"

"I won't loose you again. If you die then you might as well kill me too because I can't live like that again. Anyway I doubt we can defeat all those genomes and Garland, especially when he's already been killed once."

"You defeated Kuja." Zidane pointed out.

"That was with you, we can't do it without you."

"I don't know about that." Amarant grunted, Dagger chose to ignore him.

"These souls of Terra are something we have never seen before, there's no way of knowing what they can do. At least with you here we have some idea of what we're up against and you are the only one who can find a way to stop all this for good. We need you here if any of us are going to live through this, we will just have to find a way to prevent you from killing me if it comes to that."

Zidane thought about her words and saw the truth within them, maybe he could find a way before Garland arrived. Maybe he could save the genomes and prevent all the deaths which where soon to follow because of him. Maybe, just maybe they could find a loop hole in this. 

"Okay I'll stick around for now, but I have to know the whole truth about Kuja before I can come up with a plan."

There we go, like I said if you disagree with anything I said just tell me. The whole thing about the souls is taken from my ghost story I've written so if you are interested in that stuff then you can read that ^_^ I have an overwhelming amount of two reviews for that story so far.

Anyway I'm stopping the advertising now and would like to tell all the Kuja fans that we will learn more about what happened to him in the next chapter and maybe Garland will come in that chapter or the next. 

I would also like to do a special note for Shadow and her brilliant story lifa's soul. If you people haven't read it you must! She has just let me read the ending to it and I'm telling you it's the best piece of work I have ever read (even with famous books) you must read it and then I can be evil and laugh because I've read the ending already and you


	7. Kuja's story

Very important notice: to those who read this story I would just like to do another advertisement (not for me, honest) for fanfic _Rainbows never die _by _Cheiri Blossom_. This story is really really good and the ff7 friends you'll love to know that Aires is in it (and used to date Zidane!). It really is good and sadly finished but this means you won't have to wait for updates. So far I'm the only one who's reviewed even though its really good. You can get to it through my favourites, please read it, it will be worth your time ^_^ Anyway on with the crazy story. 

**__**

Ten years ago:

Kuja hesitantly made his way towards the underground lab where Garland was waiting. He knew he would be working on his new genome Mikoto. Garland had told him it was in the ancient language of Terra meaning saviour. Garland said because Kuja had ruined his plan for Zidane this third angel of death would be the one to save them.

Kuja smiled to himself knowing that without Zidane or him willing to be a blueprint for him Mikoto would turn out to be another failed project just like himself. 

"What do you want?" Kuja snapped as he entered. Ever since he had helped Zidane escape this place he had lost all respect for his creator and mission. Zidane had been right, they didn't need to kill so many people just to stay on this planet. Kuja gazed around and noticed that some other genomes were standing around watching the progress of Mikoto.

"I want you to begin the chaos of Gaia. It is time our mission began." Garland said while writing in his record book.

"I already told you I don't want anything to do with your mission." 

"It is sweet that you hold onto the belief of freewill. The truth is you are nothing but my puppet, Zidane made out you were more than that but he was young and never really got the chance to understand what he really was."

"That may be but he was right either way." Kuja smirked. " I'm not like these guys." He said indicating to the other genomes. "I have a choice, I have a soul and I will not be manipulated by you."

Oh but you will my little defect." Garland said his turn to smirk as two genomes suddenly grabbed Kuja and before he could react using his magic he was thrown into a tube and quickly had small tubes pulled into his body. 

"What are you doing?" He managed to ask before the tube was shut and began filling with the blue liquid.

"Your soul is too disobedient for the destructive soul to enter on its own, it will be entering you through the tubes." Kuja gave him a questioned look as he couldn't open his mouth without the liquid entering and Garland smiled happily at him. "Oh yes, you haven't heard of my latest creation yet have you? You and Zidane's soul were both very objective to the mission I need you to complete so I have built a new soul which will control your own and help you feel more loyal to this mission. You will have the same personality I'm afraid but you will only think of this mission and nothing else will be as important. Nothing can stop me from saving Terra now." 

Kuja watched helplessly as Garland connected the end of the small tubes to a jar containing what looked like a dark mist. As soon as the tubes were connected the soul began to slowly spill into them and made their way through. All Kuja could do was watch helplessly as the mist began to flow nearer to him. As it began to enter his body he tried to fight it off with is mind but couldn't last long seen as the soul had been made to connect with his. 

Within a few days it was complete and Kuja was changed beyond recognition. Garland ordered the genomes to let him out as he grinned deeply to himself at his success.

"Now I will complete this mission with you and restore Terra to what it should be!" He laughed finally feeling that everything was going to work even without Zidane completing the mission. But he had forgotten that Kuja's disobedience was still part of his personality even with the destructive soul showing him that the mission was the most important thing above everything. _I can't believe I thought Zidane was right. He was probably just trying to take al the responsibility. Well he's gone now and I will complete this mission for what I want, not for Garland._

"First of all my angel of death defect, I want you to go to Gaia and destroy the village of Maidain Sari. Those horned devils will prevent our victory if they live and I will not let this mission fail once again." Kuja smirked at his words which caused Garland to snap to attention as Kuja smiled a pity smile.

"I will the summoner tribe and I will complete this mission, but I will do none of this for you. Once this is all over and I have merged the two planets I will come back to Terra and end your miserable life. Then I will become the ruler of both planets!" Kuja let out a long cold laugh as a look of horror crossed Garland's face. He knew Kuja's soul would only last another ten years but it was plenty of time to complete his mission and come back. He watched helplessly as Kuja mounted his silver dragon and took off while waving a goodbye kiss at Garland. He left Terra only to return ten years later.

"Kuja, I will not let you destroy all those souls" Garland muttered while heading towards the invincible. "I can't risk you realising they can prolong your life."

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Zidane slept uneasily as he tried to search for his brother using his hidden power. _Kuja? Where are you? _Zidane didn't know how he was able to use his hidden power to search with his mind for Kuja had once told him he could only use it when wanting to destroy but at this moment he didn't want that and he could still somehow sense Kuja's presence just out of his reach. _How am I doing this? What is this place anyway?_ His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a distant call.

"_Zidane?_" It was definitely Kuja.

"_Kuja? Where are we? How are you alive?_" Zidane asked trying to search around him but seeing nothing except darkness. 

"_I am living as other Terrans have when they disagreed with what they were doing, not all of the Terran's wanted to survive by destroying other planets, like you did._"

"_Garland is coming for me and he has the destructive soul, what can I do? How can I stop him?_" At this silence followed but the through the darkness Kuja appeared. He was not dressed as he had been with the destructive soul in him but as all the other genomes did in Bran Bal. His face was full of kindness and worry that he looked like a completely different person. His silver tail was swinging happily exposed, Kuja smiled warmly at his brother before speaking.

"_I'm afraid I can't help you find the solution, but somewhere within you have it already. I can help your friends once you have been taken, help them find you and stop you._"

"_I don't want them involved in this._" Zidane said sternly.

"_They are part of this now, and your beloved is the key to unlock this nightmare. If they don't help you will end up killing the and Gaia._"

"_Where are you, how can you help them?_"

"_Once he comes tell them to head for Oeilvert and they must summon me._"

"_Summon you? What do you mean?_"

"_That is not important, now go before Garland realises we are speaking. If he knows I am helping we will lose our last hope._"

"Thank you, brother." Zidane said only to realise he was once again in bed with Dagger beside him.

"Are you okay Zidane?" She asked snuggling up to him.

"Yeah, but there is something I have to tell you. When I'm taken you have to head for Oeilvert and summon Kuja."

"Zidane I won't let Garland take you."

"Just in case, promise you'll go. He's different now, he's no the same person who killed your mother." Dagger was silent for a moment at this but the urgency in Zidane's voice made her push aside her emotions.

"Of course I will."

"Good, now all I have to do is realise how to stop myself from destroying Gaia."

Hope Kuja fans like it. Garland will come in next chapter most likely. Evil Zidane will come along soon (and I know one person who will like that ^_^) and everything will get more adventurey. Thanks for those reviewing by the way and I would like to ask Steeple333 if I can use your Steiner line "WHY CAN'T YOU DIE?!?!" It fits in with something later.

Anyway keep reviewing and I'll ignore Sunset and write more (he's outside at the moment that's why I can write ^_^ he wants to be out there, honest) 


	8. black mages part I

I'm back ^_^ Scotland was cool! I know I said this would be a romantic chapter but I wanted to add this one in first because the point in it has confused me for a while. You know at the end of the game when Vivi has his kids? Well that made two question pop up in my head 1) were one of those actually Vivi or was he suppose to be dead? 2) how did he have kids when there was no female Vivi shown? I've read a few fics about it but they haven't gone into detail so I thought I'd put in what I think. I know I usually try to stick with the facts from the game but I am asuming Vivi was in the group and didn't die (as you might have guessed with him walking around in my story already). Anyway enough of this crazy author and on with the chapter.

Zidane woke the next day to find the others already eating breakfast looking over at him worridly as he entered. For the first time since his tail had been cut off he had felt he had enough strength to wander around. He was already beginning to feel tired but felt just as determined to prove he could last all day. If Garland was coming soon he need to be able to fight.

During breakfast Zidane noticed Dagger and Vivi exchanging meaningful glances. Asuming it was about the obvious Zidane didn't question them as he focused on what he was going to do for the rest of the day.

"_I'd be saying your last goodbyes if I were you._" Garland's voice sniggered in his head.

"What do you mean?" Zidane asked out loud getting a glare from Freya who had been explaining how Cleyra's sandstorm used to work. 

"Zidane you saw the dance we preformed so why are you questioning the tradition now?" 

"Just to get you mad." Zidane told her automatically while smiling cheekily. "Will you excuse me? I have to prepare something?" Without waiting for proper spoken permission he left the room and headed into the almost deserted library.

"_Going to a more private place._" Garland noted. "_You can't hide the fact I'm so near to them._"

"Is that how I can hear you outside my dreams?"

"_Very good Zidane. Not long now, only about two days._" Zidane didn't want to believe that but he concentrated hard on just Garland and realised that he was really that close to them.

"Why are you doing this?" Zidane screamed starling the scholars who quickly left with looks of disgust on their faces.

"_I just want to complete my mission and rebuild Terra to it's former glory. You might not understand that now but you will soon, once you are given the destructive soul I should have given you in the beginning._"

"I'll never help you!" At his words a cold laugh filled Zidane's head.

"_You are just a puppet Zidane and you were always meant to be. Speaking of puppets your little friend wants a little chat._" Zidane turned and saw Vivi standing there silently, his yellow eyes bigger than usual.

"Are you talking to Garland like you did in Memoria?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"He's close isn't he? Our time is running out."

"No Vivi, he only wants me, you'll be fine."

"I don't think so, if the genomes are being taken then I think Garland will try to use the black mages as puppets. If the genomes are being used for the Terran souls they might be less obedient. He might want some other puppets he feels he can rely on."

At his words Zidane felt a sudden rush of anger and kicked at the air uselessly. _Of course he'd want the black mages. Why didn't you think of that? But…_

"What about your life span? If black mages don't live that long then he might not even bother." Vivi for a moment looked embarrassed as realisation hit Zidane for the first time. "Wait, if Kuja made you from mist and souls how did you have your kids? Did you meet a girl or something?"

"N-no." Vivi stuttered the place where his cheeks sgould be turned slightly red. "We've found a way to make more without the mist and expand our life expectance too."

"Really? Vivi that's great! When did this happen?"

"It was before you came back. All the black mages helped make it. If Garland isn't coming today then maybe you could come see it in the black mage village."

"I don't think we should risk it." Zidane told him.

"Maybe you should." Dagger said starling Zidane with her sudden presence. "And I think you know why." Zidane gazed down at the floor, of course he knew why, he had been questioning it since he had found out about Kuja's situation with it. 

"That's not what's important." Zidane stated.

"What are you three talking about?" Eiko asked coming in with the others following. "Some librarian said Zidane was screaming at himself." Dagger ignored her as if she hadn't even appeared.

"I think knowing how to expand your life is pretty important." 

"WHAT!" Eiko yelled.

"We don't even know whether that's the case."

"Oh come on Zidane! Kuja was given a temporary soul then it just disappeared. What would make you different for Garland not to do that to you?"

"Kuja was a defect." Zidane told her but knowing secretly it made no difference. Garland had seen the disobedience in Kuja's soul before he had begun to even create Zidane, he must have known that Zidane could have ended up the same._ And even if he had decided to risk it wouldn't he have put a life span on me because of the amount of hidden power I have? Maybe he had put one on Kuja not because he was a defect but because he couldn't risk him too long with the power he had. And with me supposedly having so much more what other stragedy would he have taken?_

Don't think about this now, Zidane told himself._ Don't let them see your doubt, they can't be worrying about this now._

"Kuja was just an experiment Dagger. Garland knew that once I was ready he would somehow have to dispose of him. So he put a life span on him for when I would have been mature enough to complete this mission. He wouldn't have put one on me, I was too important for his mission." At his words Dagger relaxed and all doubt vanished from her eyes. Zidane felt a stab of guilt but hid it expertly from his face and eyes. He hatred lying to her but it was a necessary thing to do. She knew him well but for twelve years Zidane had learnt not to care or fell any remorse to those he hurt by stealing their possessions. The life of a thiefwas hard and lonely, something Zidane wished he could have left in the past. Now he was having to use old tricks he'd rather have forgotten on the people he loved.

_Funny how things are_ he thought sadly. _First I become a thief because have nothing to loose and now I have to use the same techniques because I could loose everything._

"You're sure?" Dagger asked desperately, Zidane smiled warmly and kissed her softly. 

"Would I lie to you Dagger?" At that moment Zidane was glad he was an actor. He was able to slip into this new role as if it were no different from who he really was. _I'm sorry Dagger, but I love you too much to let you know the truth._

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So you still want to see the plan that we have made?" Vivi asked obviously excited.

"Yeah of course! I mean if it means you guys are living longer because of it and having kids I want to see how it works." Zidane said truthfully. Maybe he was a little curious to see whether it could help him too but that was just a bonus. The black mages deserved this after what this stupid mission had put them through.

"What about Garland?" Dagger asked.

"He won't be here for two days. Just trust me on that." He told her seeing the look on her face, she nodded and smiled.

"Are you strong enough to go there?" 

"I'm a bit tired but I can rest up on the airship, no problem there." He was starting to feel a little dizzy from being up too long but Dagger didn't need to know that.

"Okay then, Beatrix."

"Yes your highness."

"I will be gone for the rest of the day. I want to begin preparing our army ready for Garland's attack."

"Yes my Queen."

"And have Steiner and his knights of pluto round up the townspeople into the castle. Keep them there, put them in the guest rooms and I will inform them of the situation when I return."

"Yes my Queen. Should we bring the people through the back of the castle to avoid the genomes?"

"Yes you better." With that Beatrix left in search for Steiner to begin their orders.

"You don't have to come Dagger." Zidane understood how important and responsible she was for her kingdom and how she could never think of letting them down.

"I trust you Zidane, they will be fine. Anyway I want to make sure you get some rest, you look like you're about to collapse." Zidane could only manage a weak smile as he fell heavily on her for support.

"You know me too well."

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Dagger watched as Zidane slept peacefully. They had chosen to travel in the invincible for two reasons. One because the engine was silent and therefore wouldn't disturb Zidane. Two was a reason Dagger guessed was the possibility that Garland came early and took everything. If he regained the invincible he would only be able to control the souls faster.

Even knowing Zidane's doubt about his own prediction dagger had to leave her Kingdom and go with him. She was doing it again, choosing love over her responsibility. Just like she had three months ago when Zidane had returned. She had thrown her crown to the ground in front of everyone showing them who her first priority will always be.

It wasn't right for a queen but Dagger couldn't help it. She loved Zidane more than her Kingdom yet she knew she would still have to pick her responsibility.

Dagger stroked Zidane's hair fondly kissing his forehead with a single tear rolling down her cheek. _I guess either way I don't have to choose. Either he will become my King or my enemy… _

There you go ^_^ I'm doing this chapter in two parts in case you didn't guess. I thought I'd post this bit so no one came to try and kill me (or set a doll on me, they are scary). After that it will be the romance chapter I promise! To those who read lifa's soul Shadow is on holiday so don't kill her for not writing more. I know the invincible doesn't have bedrooms usually but I believe they are there but you just can't go into them in the game. If there's any mistakes in the plot please tell me. Anyway I'll write the next chapter quickly for you should be up in a few days tops (unless something comes up like it usually does…) In the mean time reviews are good ^_^ 


	9. For Alex

Just like to say I have changed chapter eight to a chapter now so you can now read that. This is not a chapter but I'd appreciate it if you could read anyway, it's for someone named Alex. (You know who you are ^_^)

Kingleby: Hello! This is not a chapter but I will put one up soon. I would like to make an announcement!

Zidane: Oh no! She's going to babble on about her story or advertise a good fic.

Dagger: Why do we have to put up with this when all we want to see is what's going to happen to us?

Kingleby: *Glares at them* This is not an advertisement, it is an announcement.

Amarant: Let me guess. You're starting a new story and you feel you must bore us all by telling us as if we would actually care.

Kingleby: I don't like you and you are very expendable in my fic.

Amarant: …

Kingleby: *smiling snugly* That's what I thought. Anyway this is in fact…

All ff9 characters: *stare at her with expectation*

Kingleby: …A birthday announcement!

All ff9 characters: *All look dead bored again*

Steiner: Probably just one of her many sisters. (I have three)

Kingleby: Actually my eldest sister Samantha's 22nd birthday and my dad's birthday are on the 27th August. But this is not for them it's someone else. You see my dad doesn't play the games and Samantha has only played a little of ff7 so there's no point doing this for them. This birthday is on the 25th August…

Zidane: WHAT! What makes that spiky haired freak better to control than me?!

Cloud: Excuse me *shows very big sharp sword* Did you just call me a spiky haired freak?

Zidane: *looks at sword* N-no, I was talking about Seymour from ff10. You see I was talking about it earlier and was suddenly reminded of it *smiles nervously*

Dagger: *doesn't really care*

Cloud: *puts sword on his back*

Seymour: And what may I ask do you find wrong with my hair exactly? *has summoned Anima beside him*

Zidane: Nothing O_O I was talking about Sora from Kingdom Hearts, I mean his hair is just weird.

Sora: What's wrong with my hair?! *is standing with all those in Kingdom Hearts*

Ff7 Cloud: Hey, he's me!

KH Cloud: How strange.

Zidane: O_O

Kingleby: Sora can you tell me when they're making a sequel?

Sora: How would I know, I'm just a character.

Zidane: O_O

Kingleby: Is it true it's about Riku this time?

Sora: How would I know, I'm just a character.

Kingleby: _ Okay, get off my paper!

*all none ff9 character except me vanish*

Zidane: O_O

Kingleby: Now where was I? Oh yes, this birthday is for…Alex!

Dagger: Who?

Kingleby: She's a fellow fic writer, a VERY good one at that ^_^

Zidane: Never heard of her.

Kingleby: Course you haven't stupid! She uses a penname.

Eiko: *playing with mog* So what's the penname then?

Kingleby: Can't tell you, in her bio thing she wouldn't say her name so I am not about to give away her identity without permission.

Steiner: So what is the point of wishing her happy birthday when we don't know who she is?

Kingleby: We're not just wishing her happy 16th birthday…

Dagger: She's 16? I was met Zidane on my 16th birthday ^_^

Zidane: ^_^

Dagger: ^_^

Zidane: ^_^

Dagger: ^_^

Zidane: ^_^

Kingleby: *bored*

Dagger: ^_^

Zidane: ^_^

Dagger: ^_^

Zidane: ^_^

Dagger: ^_^ 

Zidane: ^_^

Kingleby: Anyway what I want you all to do is…

Dagger: ^_^

Zidane: ^_^

Dagger: ^_^

Zidane: ^_^

Dagger: ^_^

Zidane: ^_^

Kingleby: SING!

All: WHAT!?

Kingleby: ^_^

Freya: Would everyone stop doing that!

Quina: I no sing. I eat.

Amarant: …No way

Steiner: *turning red with anger*

Beatrix: *doesn't really care*

Kuja: *looking evil as always, ready to cast ultima*

Vivi: *too shocked to speak*

Dagger: …^_^

Zidane: …^_^

Eiko: *smiling at Zidane already thinking of cheesy love songs she can sing to him*

Kupo: Happy Kupo to Kupo!

Kingleby: *getting karaoke machine ready*

Kupo: Happy Kupo to Kupo!

Freya: Why do we have to sing?

Kupo: Happy Kupo dear Kupo!

Kingleby: It's an inside thing (remember that birthday and singing thing you said about before ^_^)

Kupo: Happy Kupo to… *suddenly struck by ultima*

Kuja: What? He was annoying.

Eiko: *grabs mike* I want to sing…

Kingleby: Not yet! We're waiting for someone.

Zidane: Who? *twitching nervously*

Kingleby: *grins* You'll see ^_^

Amarant: I hate it when she does that.

Kingleby: _ EXPENDABLE!

All: *stare*

Kingleby: *waiting*

All: *stare*

Kingleby: *bored*

Eiko: *trying to turn machine on*

Kingleby: *still bored* I have a puppy named Sunset.

Amarant: So?

Kingleby: Kuja can you kill him please?

Kuja: Why should I? You brought me here and I'm barely in your fic.

Kingleby: You have a big part later.

Kuja: Really? Do I destroy the world? ^_^

Kingleby: Not exactly.

Kuja: What then?

Kingleby: You join them to save your brother ^_^ It's so sweet of you!

Kuja: O_O

Kingleby: Will you kill him now?

Kuja: O_O

Kingleby: Meanie, and I was going to make you a… 

Kathleen: Don't give it away idiot. *leaves*

Kingleby: Right, sorry.

All: ?

Kingleby: That was me ^_^ She'a the one who makes me write these things. I'm just the penname.

All: O_O

Kingleby: *waiting again*

Eiko: *given up on machine and is now kicking it*

Kingleby: Even if you can get it to work it only plays 'happy birthday to Alex'.

Kupo: Kupo!

Kingleby: No, Alex!

Eiko: …Dammit

Steiner: This is idiotic, either you actually do something or just send us away! You're wasting paper by drafting this!

Kingleby: *sniff* I don't like you, I can make you expendable.

Beatrix: Hey! I love him!

Kingleby: I'll make Zidane kill you both if you want.

Beatrix: O_O

Steiner: O_O

Zidane: O_O

Freya: …So Zidane does go evil?

Kingleby: …Dammit

Kathleen: You and your big fat mouth!

*Suddenly a big monster appears carrying a girl while…*

Alice: Yuri, get off my arse.

Monster/Yuri: *growls*

Kingleby: Finally ^_^ Now…where'd everyone go?

All ff9 characters: *hiding*

Kingleby: Better go human Yuri.

Yuri: *now human* Happy birthday Alex!

Kingleby: ^_^ Hope you like it Alex! It was between this or trying to form the evil Zidane club but a) you tried it already b) when I tried they just gave me all these medicines and made me live with crazy people.

All: …

Kingleby: They didn't believe me when I told them Zidane was evil, I mean just look at him!

Zidane: O_O

Kingleby: He's worse than Kuja! (Or will be ^_^)

Kuja: This thing has gone too crazy for me to care what you say anymore.

Kingleby: …Yuri is 24 like you.

Kuja: ^_^ Finally someone my own age!

Yuri: …

Kuja: Please say you're an evil villain plotting to take over the world too!?

Yuri: I'm a Hamonxer (did I spell it right?)

Kuja: O_O ?

Alice: I do exorcisms.

Kuja: o_O ?

Zidane: Okay who are these people and what exactly is a ham-thingy.

Kingleby: They're from _Shadow Hearts_. I hear from Alex its really good ^_^

Yuri: A Hamonxer is someone who can fuse their body with that of a monster… wait a minute, are you saying you haven't actually played the game?

Kingleby: *nervously* Um, yeah?

Yuri: *starts turning to monster* So I am probably totally out of character?!

Kingleby: O_O

Alice: She got the arse grabbing part from, Yuri is a pervert!

Kingelby: I got that from Alex! I swear I will play your game when I get money! Apparently its really hard to find but really good.

Yuri: *goes back to human* Okay then, but only because you know Alex.

Kingleby: ^_^ I'm a fan of her work and she e-mails me. *sniff* I think of her as a friend.

Amarant: Great, a mushy teenager.

Kingleby: Hey! I have a hamonxer here so watch it!

Amarant: …

Yuri: So you will play the game?

Kingleby: Yep! ^_^ *whispers* after ff10-2.

Alice: So does Alex need an exorcism?

Kingleby: O_O No, we just want to sing happy birthday to her.

Kupo: Happy Kupo… *hit by ultima spell*

Alice O_O Are you sure?

Kingleby: If you do you get to leave.

All: *get into a big group to begin singing*

Kingleby: ^_^ 

All: *open mouths to start singing* happy…

*suddenly the most cutest little sausage puppy with black and tan fur and a light brown collar appears near kingleby and looks up with head tilted sideways looking so cute! ^_^*

Kingleby: Sunset! ^_^

All: … ^_^ How cute!

Sunset: *looking all innocent at them*

All: ^_^

Sunset: *sees Steiner and Amarant and begins barking (believe me he can bark loud when he wants to)*

Amarant: …

Steiner: …

All others: ^_^

Kingleby: ^_^ that's it baby one send them off!

Sunset: *begins chasing them both*

Zidane: Scared of a sausage dog *shakes head* 

Kingleby: I don't know, he can get pretty scary when he gets in manic mode, or when I try to put him to bed. I swear he's just like a kid, I'll be prepared when I become a mother someday. *waits for sarcastic comment from Amarant but remembers Sunset is chasing him* ^_^ Anyway on with the singing!

All: *look scared*

Kingleby: Come on if you don't sing then I will and believe me that is scary.

All: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! (Kupo! *hit by spell again*) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ALEX! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO…

Kingleby: *can't resist joining in* YOU! *all windows break and many eardrums*

All: OUCH! MY EARS!

Kingleby: ^_^ Happy birthday Alex! Reviewers please show your support and wish her happy birthday in the reviews! Next chapter will be up soon promise.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 


	10. black mages part II

I am finishing this chapter at 12.05 in the morning because a very RUDE reviewer said I wasn't writing it quick enough. Even though I posted chapter eight with the announcement they still complain that I was trying to do something nice for someone who wasn't them. So I have now rushed this chapter and if there is mistakes or it doesn't make sense blame that reviewer because I am really tired with puppy sitting and lack of sleep so it will probably be crappy and it's thier fault. Oh and one more thing to that RUDE reviewer, couldn't you within your criticism wished Alex happy birthday? That was the whole point of the EIGHT PAGED plot, but you couldn't even consider her 16th birthday through all your idiotic demands. It takes time to write things and just because I'm half decent and want to give the only present I can to my e-mail friend you're like _hey why aren't you slaving away every second writing more of the story for me?_ Why didn't you say that when I told you I was writing my other story? Why do you only say it now when I'm doing something for someone else and not for myself? I would like to see how you feel if you ever write your own story and you want to do something different for one day and you get a review like THAT! 

Sorry to all the non RUDE reviewers but I found that highly insulting. I know your nice and will wish Alex happy birthday ^_^ Anyway on with the story which if has loads of mistakes and doesn't make sense you know why…

"Zidane, come on wake up, we're here."

"Gc u wcg'm dngm mc, u lavm dngm mc vmnz tbjb dvmt zca." Zidane clung tighter to Dagger without opening his eyes. _Funny_ Zidane thought _She seems sort of furrier than I remember._

"Get off me!" Freya yelled pushing Zidane off her. He opened his eyes to see that everyone was laughing with a fuming Freya but no Dagger was in the room.

"Where's Dagger?" He asked jumping up a little too quickly causing the room to spin.

"Whoa, careful!" Eiko told him a little too loudly. "Dagger will kill us if you pass out now when she's gone to get some of that spring water from the black mage village. It's suppose to refresh you or something."

"WHAT! You let her go on her own?" 

"She insisted! I kept bugging her to let me go and she finally agreed but when I went to get my staff she snuck out without me!" Zidane couldn't say anything to that. He remembered how Dagger used to want to be alone sometimes on their journey when she was upset. _I need to assure her somehow that I love her and will always be with her no matter what, but how?_

"Steiner's going to kill us." Vivi moaned his face hiding in his gloved hands.

"Why's that?" Dagger asked brightly coming into the room suddenly. Her happiness seemed real to everyone but Zidane knew her well enough to spot the slight traces of tears on her face.

"Dagger are you alright?" Eiko exploded hugging the older girl almost causing her to spill the potion bottle she was carrying in her hand.

"Eiko I can handle a few monsters on my own you know."

"I know you can but Zidane still wants to kill me. Geez, men."

"Zidane I'm fine, a lot better than you." Dagger told him looking at the exhaustion on his face. "I know you have had your true potion already but I thought some spring water could refresh you a little." She extended the bottle out to him as he gazed knowingly at her with a 'we'll talk later' look.

Zidane took the bottle, clumsily opened it and drank deeply. With each swallow he felt a little more revived, a little stronger. He drank greedily wanting to feel as strong as he once did, wanting to at least match the others and not come as a burden to them. He could fight off Garland on his own and not have the others endangering their lifes. Dagger wouldn't have to find Kuja. She wouldn't have to…

"Zidane it's empty now, you can stop drinking." Freya said softly, Zidane ignored her and continued his desperate struggle to drink more of the water that wasn't even there. _no, I need it to be strong, I need to protect Dagger. I need to prevent being taken, need to prevent me ending up killing her._

"_Oh Zidane_." Came Garland's voice ozzing with fake sympathy. "_You really should have know better than to hope. You killed her the moment you fell in love with her, the moment you dropped your thief ways and began to truly care._"

His words rang so clearly through Zidane that it felt like a parade had preformed the fact in front of all Gaia. The bottle dropped to the floor shattering into a million pieces as Zidane stumbled backwards towards the door.

"I...I have to go." He said stumbling out of the room in a half room making his way to the portal which led off of the ship.

"Zidane wait!" Dagger called running after him. Zidane ignored her as he stepped into the portal reforming near the edge of the black mage forest. He ran into it not caring whether he encountered any monsters, apart of him wanted it, wanted this to end so he would know Dagger would be safe from him. They would be able to defeat Garland and the Terrans, he knew they were strong enough for that after the battle against Necron. But he knew that if they came up against him with the destructive soul inside him then they wouldn't have a chance.

"_Don't even think_ _about it Zidane, you won't encounter any monsters while I'm watching over you._" A snigger echoed in Zidane's head as he cursed foully tears falling freely down his face. "_You can't save her Zidane and it's your fault for defying me that has made it come to this._"

Zidane sank to the floor and leaned helplessly against a tree no longer feeling any emotional strength urging him to continue. _What's the point? It's all going to end whether I do or not_. All he could do was rest his head in his hands and cry out of his frustration and pain.

"Zidane?" Dagger gently knelt down beside him not saying another word as he helplessly hugged her as his tears continued. Zidane didn't want her to see him so weak and without hope like this but he needed to let it out, he couldn't stop his tears once they had begun. Only moments ago when she had first come onto the invincible with the spring water he had been determined to comfort her, yet here he was crying on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He finally said once most of the tears had subsided. "I'm the one who should be the shoulder to cry on just like I promised."

"Don't be silly Zidane, you're the one who is about to have his soul taken away."

"But it will be easy for me once that happens, I'll feel like a different person and not see you as I do now. If I fight you I won't care if I hurt you but you will care if you hurt my body even if it's not me anymore. You will have to cope with loosing me again when it was so unfair that we couldn't stay together in the first place. You waited a whole year for me and I don't want you to do that again. Once this is all over and I'm gone I don't want you to going around looking for my soul or something as equally stupid. I want you to accept I will be dead and I won't be coming back this time. I want you to marry some nice rich prince and have lots of heirs and never think of me again. I want you…"

"Zidane shut up!"

"… To be happy."

"I can't be happy without you Zidane."

"That attitude is not helping. You were happy before you met me and you can do it again, you'll have all our friends here and you have your kingdom, and best of all you'll have no evil Terrans or angel of deaths threatening war on you."

"Zidane, I was never really happy before I met you, not even when my father was still alive. I kept having dreams of Mdain Sari not knowing what they were but somehow knowing I didn't really belong because of them. When I'm with you it is the only time I have ever felt like I belong, because I belong in your arms."

Zidane couldn't say anything to that, he knew she was right because it was exactly how he felt when he was with her.

"And even if that didn't matter we still don't have a way to stop you and the Terrans, we are going to die anyway so it doesn't matter that I could die of a broken heart and never be able to let you go."

"I'm not giving up yet and neither should you. I'll find a way to stop me you just concentrate on the Terrans and your heart not breaking. After who knows me better than myself?" 

Dagger was about to open her mouth and say something more but she was topped as the others approached them. Zidane only had enough time to wipe the remaining tears off his face before they came into view.

"Zidane are you alright?" Vivi asked him his eyes full of worry.

"Yeah I'm fine. That water was so bad when mixed with the true potion it made me almost puke." It wasn't the best cover story but it was all he could think of from the top of his head. "Shall we go? I'm feeling pretty motivated at the moment." With that they set off for the black mage village confusing all but Zidane how they didn't encounter even a single monster on the way.

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"So, where's this big plan thing being done?" Zidane asked as they entered the village.

"Behind the graveyard." Vivi explained. "There's more room back there to keep them."

"Keep what?" As if answering him Zidane heard a roar which didn't seem to bother any of the black mages around. Zidane quickly made his way to the back of the graveyard where he was greeted by one of most unusual sights he had ever seen.

Every known monster that was on the mist continent were locked up in cages with their own type. Some had smaller versions of them in with too but others…

"Y-you're breeding mist monsters?" Zidane choked out as Dagger laughed at the look on his face.

"Yeah." Vivi said excited. "Isn't it a great idea?"

"I've lost you Vivi." Zidane admitted. 

"They're mist monsters." The look on Zidane's face told he would have to explain it in more detail. "We all know that the monsters on the mist continent are attracted to where the mist is thickest. Well Dr. Tot had this theory that after the lifa tree had that violent reaction and stopped making mist it was all gone except in one place.

"You see the black mages are made up of mist and souls. We've realised that if there was more mist put in us then we are stronger, that's how I'm different from the others. I had more mist in so I can cast more spells than just fire ones. Dr. Tot realised that this most be the same with the mist monsters too, except with them being monsters they always want to be stronger, have more power to kill more. So because monsters seek power and they are always hanging around the areas with the most mist…"

"Oh." It was all Zidane could think to say.

"Exactly." Vivi said excitedly. "The mist monsters are also made of mist and souls, created from the tree like the black mages. Which means they have the mist we need to prolong our lives. If we just figured away for the mist to not make us stronger but make us live longer instead. What we soon realised that once we have put it into our system it automatically works on what is most needed."

"So you use the mist monsters to get it into your system?"

"Yep. It does kill them but then again we kill them everyday to prevent getting killed ourselves. What we do is extract the mist from them using these small tubes made out of rubber. From one comes its blood, the other are the souls trapped within which we then let free and another is the mist. We have one in progress if you want to see." Before Zidane could protest he was being dragged along by Dagger to a small warehouse in the edges of the forest in which lay a slaughter house.

"T-they're still alive?" He stuttered as the monster in progress of being drained roared out in pain.

"They have to be." Vivi argued. "If we kill them first them they disappear before we can even begin the progress. It's not like they haven't caused pain to us, why does it bother you Zidane?"

"I-it's just." Zidane involuntarily caressed his arm where the faint scar of where the tube had pieced his skin remained. "It's just such an awful way to die." Vivi gave him a confused look but didn't press him further seeing the look on his face, none of others did either. "So you used some of the souls and a bit of mist to make your kids?"

"Yeah." Vivi said brightly. "It was just like Kuja said all we had to do was out the two together in a glass tube and add a fire spell. We left it for a few weeks and then the kids were there. I guess the monsters must have been done differently. They must have been made long ago and then left to breed on their own. If that hadn't been the case then they would be even more overwhelming numbers than there already is."

"At least without the mist they aren't as strong as before." Freya commented.

"Shall we go and catch up with the others?" Dagger asked wanting to talk to Zidane alone. "We can meet back at the entrance in a few hours to leave." Everyone agreed and left quickly wanting to escape the monster's screams. Zidane couldn't bring himself to move, he watched helplessly as the jars became full and the monster's screams died as it did.

"Zidane? Are you okay?" Dagger asked, Zidane realised she was the only one other than him left there. He wondered whether to tell her what was on his mind but realised it didn't matter anymore if he did.

"When I've been taking the true potion I've been remembering thing about my life on Terra, as you know. The first one I had was of my…birth. It was similar to this in a way, similar to the black mages. I just woke up all of a sudden with Garland staring at me beyond the blue light and all these little tubes sticking into my body. One in each arm and leg and one in my stomach." He extended his arm and showed the slight scar from the tube which he had been rubbing continuously since they came in. Dagger merely smiled at it and gently took hold of his hand kissing the scar softly. _She's proving she doesn't care about that._ Zidane realised. _If only everything were different we could have been so happy._

"It's so strange to think of it. Everyone I know was born from their mother as a tiny baby and I was created and just woke up one day in a four year old body."

"Not all of us." Dagger reminded him. "And maybe it's Vivi you need to discuss this stuff with." With those words she kissed him briefly and left, Zidane couldn't help a little smile as he watched her leave. _Maybe she knows me more than I know myself sometimes, parts of me anyway…_

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Zidane found Vivi at the graveyard standing silently with his yellow eyes closed. Zidane wondered whether he was just tired or whether he was trying to feel the presence of those beneath. To feel their silence and see whether it's one of peace or one of suffering.

"It's so peaceful here." Zidane said stating his opinion. "I bet the black mages here feel nothing but peace and happiness. Their souls which they mixed with to be created will be real from now on and they will join all the others and the peaceful place they have gone now the lifa tree is gone. Either that or their memories will remain in memoria." Vivi did that weird smile of his using only his eyes.

"Since your return from the lifa tree you've changed so much, you've been thinking like I used to on our journey."

"Yeah, I guess what I found out was something I needed to think through."

"But you had memories of Terra's light before, why didn't you ever think about that then?"

"I thought about it all the time when I first came to Gaia, for the first two years when I was alone in Treno I could see it so clearly in my dreams that when I woke in the morning I'd think I had only fallen asleep then. Then Baku found me and I joined Tantalus it kind of got pushed to the back of my mind and existed only in my dreams. I was just so overwhelmed in finding a family that loved me enough to make me one of their own and keep me with them. When I was fifthteen I couldn't ignore the possibility that my real family was out there somewhere, just waiting for me beyond that bright blue light. I know it was selfish, I mean I had more than a lot of other people did. I had my brothers and my boss with a group who I could always stay with. But I just had to try and find that light, I used to think I must find it someday or why would I remember it? So for over a year I searched the mist continent but I never did find it, you know the weird part though Vivi?" Vivi shook his head not daring to speak in case the noise would make Zidane decide to stop.

"Every night when I would stop I would gaze up at the stars and this one specific star would always attract my attention. It was bigger or brighter then any of the others but I would always look at the same star no matter where it was in the sky. There I was looking for my home and every single night I saw it and didn't even realise it."

"…Are you scared?" Vivi asked suddenly.

"Of being turned into an evil puppet who's going to kill my friends? Yeah, how can I not be. As soon as he takes my soul from my body and outs in the destructive one I will be dead."

"But he won't take it out." Vivi stated. A chille ran through Zidane's spine.

"What?"

"Garland won't take your soul out first because it's the one with the power, if he took it out he'd just get an obedient genome like the others only with the ability to bring out the evil of the souls it mixes with. You know it and so do I. Why are you hiding it from the others?"

"You know why. If the destructive soul takes over I need you to kill me. If Dagger knew that I was still there and I would die for good she wouldn't do it and she will just get killed."

"Die for good?"

"I don't know for certain whether I have a time on my life span for my soul but I know that if I do it will be when I either complete my mission or fail. I don't think Garland would wait for my soul to flow back to him, which thanks to Kuja it can't, not after he destroyed Terra."

"So your soul will just disappear like Kuja's?"

"Not exactly. There is a way you can prevent it if you all live through this. It involves Kuja and what happened at the lifa tree…"

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It was when they were on the invincible that Zidane went over his conversations with both Dagger and Vivi and began to form a plan. _Maybe I can save them after all, maybe it will work out okay…_

"Zidane!" Came Eiko's panicked voice. "Come and see!" Remembering the last time Eiko had done this Zidane knew it was serious. He stumbled to the bridge all effect of the spring water long run out and gazed out at the scene with disbelief.

"Mist." Dagger whispered squeezing his hand tightly. _It has begun then. _He thought sadly, only one day left…

Gc u wcg'm dngm mc, u lavm dngm mc vmnz tbjb dvmt zca- no I don't want to, I just want to stay here with you.

There's two things I haven't explained yet in this story a) how is Kuja's soul there when it was suppose to completely vanish b) how did Zidane escape the lifa tree. Just like to say I am not ignoring these just answering them in later chapters (when Kuja comes in). Any POLITE complaints about this chapter are welcome seem as I wasn't in the best of mind or mood when I wrote some of it. 


	11. saying goodbye

Just like to do another advertisement for a really good ff10 fic called blind love by Chikujin. I can't tell you what is about without a) giving away the ending of ff10 to those who haven't played it yet b) spoiling the story. Just trust me when I say I haven't read one with a similar idea before, I did once consider starting an Artemis Fowl fic with a similar…situation but not until this one is done. Please do read it she isn't getting many reviews and won't write as quick until she does.

Okay romance chapter is finally here ^_^ don't expect anything brilliant though I suck at romance things, it's all about the depression with me, I can get that did right but never the romance. I'd like to thank SunDiamond for telling me the real ages and dates for Zidane and Freya, I have now changed it. 

Sorry if some got inpatient for this chapter but my defence I have been writing it a lot and it is twenty pages long! Yes you read right twenty pages ^_^ 

Dagger was gently shaken awake ending her dream of Zidane destroying Alexandria. At first she thought it would be Steiner informing her of an attack on her city. But to her surprise she opened her eyes to see Zidane gently shaking her with a look of determination on his face. 

"Zidane, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Why does there have to be something wrong?" He pointed out giving her a long kiss.

"Okay, why are you here then?" She asked smiling.

"Can't a guy come and greet his fiancée in the morning?"

"Not when Steiner is around." Dagger laughed.

"You forget that I'm a retired thief and I can make myself scarce from authority if I want. Usually if a guard came in when I was stealing something I would jump up and hang by my tail on the chandelier."

"And how do you plan to do that with only half a tail." Dagger smiled with satisfaction at the long pause which followed.

"I'll get back to you on that." He said after a while. "But first we have to go."

"Go where?"

"That's a surprise." Zidane told her with a smile pulling her out of bed and throwing her old orange outfit that she had worn on their journey at her. "Just get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Zidane what about my duties? I can't just go off with you for a whole day, especially now." Zidane didn't seem to be listening so Dagger grabbed his arm trying not to feel embarrassed by the fact she was stood only in her nightie. 

"It's all taken care of, trust me alright." With that he left and Dagger had to once again choose between Zidane and her kingdom.

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"Do you think she'll come?" Zidane asked playing with his food but not having the heart to eat any.

"Of course." Freya snorted. "This could be the last day you spend together I doubt she will throw that away for anything.

"You know I half wish that she won't because then I will know whether she will kill my body in order to save Gaia. If she chooses her kingdom now then she will choose Gaia over me too, it would make everything a lot simpler."

"Love is never simple." Freya stated.

"Never got his memory back did he?"

"No, sometimes I'm not even sure whether he loves me or whether he just believes it." 

"What you mean because he can't remember you he's just assuming he loves you but doesn't feel it?" Freya could only nod. "Well Freya to that I would have to ask why he would stay with you for this long? Not many people would live a lie for over a year. He would have made up some excuse about going off around Gaia to try and regain his memory."

"But he did spend a long time before he met me again wandering around, maybe he thought if he put up with me for a while then he would regain his memory and could then leave." Her voice was forced and Zidane knew she was on the edge of tears. Freya the dragon knight was being less than her strong emotionless self. He hugged her encouragingly knowing she would never let him do this if she was her normal self.

"You know the thing I remember most about the day Fratley returned? I remember that after he had saved us from the black mages and you were in the castle being reunited for the first time he had this strange look on his face. When he saw how upset you were and how much you loved him I saw look of longing on his face, longing to remember you because you were so beautiful and it was obvious how much you loved him. He saw that from you and he wanted to remember you and the love he had, but then part of him could already feel it because no matter whether people forget they will always remember their strong love. 

"That was why he left you then, because even though he had been looking for so long for his past he never really thought he would ever find it. Then all of a sudden there you were; his past and his future. He needed to go and think for a while, to escape everything he knew and concentrate on that bound he has with you until he was certain it was real. That was why he came back, not to get his memory but because he remembered the love you two shared even if he couldn't actually remember how or why."

"And how would you know about this stuff?"

"Come on Freya, you remember when we first met? I was some screwed up kid with no past but not enough courage to start looking for it. But when you went searching for Fratley when I was thirteen it made me begin to realise I had to leave and search too. Two years later I took the chance and left, after that year looking I gave up on ever finding out where I was from but then look what happened. After I found out why I was here, when my soul was taken, I pushed you all away when you tried to help. I just needed to be alone and sort it out but you wouldn't let me. That is what you have to do with Fratley. He has already been reminded of your love, now you have to prove it. Just like all your friendships proved I was no different no matter what." There was silence between the two as Freya went over it all in her head.

"…You certainly have changed Zidane." She whispered standing up and looking at him gratefully. "I might just listen to you."

"Go get him!" Zidane called after her spoiling the mood but not really caring. Wouldn't want Freya thinking he was all that different.

"When did you get so good at love problems?" Dagger asked walking down the stairs. She looked as beautiful as ever in the same clothes she had travelled in, she had let her hair loose from her clip so it surrounded her face bringing out her beautiful brown eyes. The pendant necklace that used to lie heavily around her neck was gone, lost when she had lost it in the crowd.

"Whoa, you're so beautiful." Zidane said dreamily his gaze never leaving her as she came down the stairs to his side.

"Oh Zidane I just look the same as I used to." She told him blushing slightly at his steady gaze.

"Not quite." He told her playing with her hair. "You seem so much older now, before you were just a girl desperately trying to help her mother. Now your so independent and strong, I feel so protected when I'm with you now. You don't need protecting anymore because you're too busy protecting other people. There's this new bright flame inside of you burning so bright that it warns others off from the ones you love. Before you used to just share one with us but now you have it all on your own, you're the strongest one of us now."

"I didn't feel like I am, I don't want to have to be the strongest, be the one who makes the choices. I just want to live with my friends and be with you."

"It's not who you are anymore, part of you still wants it but you know that you're a Queen now and you are the one who leads. You may not feel strong but by the end of it you are the one who will destroy the destructive soul, you are the one who will save Gaia. Even if you have to join forces with someone you truly hate I know you will for the greater good. That's something I would never do because the greater good they want wouldn't include you. I need you to do this even though it means loosing me; I know you can because you're so much stronger than me to do so." 

Dagger could only nod as a single tear fell down her face; Zidane gently kissed it away and smiled.

"Just for today though I want you to be as weak as you want, you can say whatever you feel and have no responsibilities. Today I have planned everything and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy."

"Zidane… you don't have to do this, you may not realise it but you're strong too. You could take the easy way out and join your creator, destroy Gaia and live on with your people. But you decided to go against everything you were made for and protect those you love, that is the hardest road you took and I will never forget it. You're now asking me to save the planet and forget about my real home, you. I just hope I can be as strong as you." Zidane could only hold her at those words not daring to point out if she didn't then everyone would be dead. She didn't seem to realise that there was no choice for her to choose, he could have joined Garland but Dagger could never join him, she would just end up being killed.

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Freya knocked gently on the door to the guest room Fratley and she were staying in, somehow she didn't feel right to just barge in like usual. This had to be done properly.

"Come in." Came his stern yet caring voice she had come to love.

"It's Freya; I need to talk to you." Immediately the door opened and Freya was greeted with a warm hug and smile before she was pulled into the room.

"I was beginning to worry about you, you went to breakfast two hours ago at five in the morning looking like the world was going to end any moment."

"Well that is the case is it not?"

"Yes I suppose it is, but at least we can enjoy our last day together."

"Last day? So you heard what Zidane said too? About Garland arriving tomorrow."

"Well actually Queen Garnet mentioned it in her speech to the townspeople; I thought I would go along and make sure I knew everything."

"I don't think any of us know everything, I doubt Zidane knows all of it."

"Enough of that talk anyway, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"…Us."

"Us? Freya my love what do you mean?"

"That! How are you sure you love me when you can't even remember us? Do you just stick around because you feel you have to or because you think I'm the key to you regaining your memory? Why do you stay when you don't really love me?" All the comforting words that Zidane had told her seemed so obviously wrong that she couldn't believe she had dared to hope for a second that it was true. Fratley wasn't like Zidane; he had spent three years searching for who he was while Zidane spent one. Zidane could afford to give up his search; he had a whole other family and life he could just easily return to while Frately had been left with nothing. It was all too plain to her now that after three years of wondering discovering only a young prince for reference to his past that when he learnt that Freya was connected he would stay to find out more and try to remember. What was one person's pain to him by making them believe he was still in love when they could help him remember all his friend's and family's names?

"Freya, I do love you…"

"How can you? You don't even remember me! You don't remember our love or how much it meant to us just to eat a picnic on the rooftops while watching the twin moons light up the sky. You don't know about…about the fact you promised we would get married when you returned from your duty. You don't remember anything." She finished off quietly sobbing as she sat on the bed and hid her face in her hands feeling helpless. Just like she had during the times she had nearly given up hope on her search for him.

"Freya I do love you, more than you will ever know, more than I could ever express to you. I do not remember these things and I probably never will but I do know the love I feel for you is as real as you are. When Prince Puck had found me wondering around he then helped me remember that I was a dragon knight. Shortly after I learnt of the attack on Burmecia and swore I would not let Cleyra fall too. When I saw you in the palace talking to me with such certainty that we knew each other and that you loved me deeply.

"All I could do was look at you as you talked feeling a slight recognition for just a second that at the time I thought I had imagined it. In that flicker I felt complete and happy with such an overwhelming love for you I felt I was going to choke. I knew I loved you, knew that I always had. But then when it went and I was scared of what I had felt. I convinced myself it was nothing and pretended I didn't recognise you. You must understand Freya that I was so scared, I had just come to terms I was a dragon knight and was willing to accept that was all I would remember. Then I met you and it threw that theory right away, I felt that love and knew that if I continued to remember it I would never be able to deny it. I left you there and thought of the possibility of returning to you. I was afraid that because I couldn't remember our past and all the things we did together you would realise you didn't want me anymore. If that happened I wouldn't know what to do because I would be alone with a love so strong my heart aches with joy every time I see your face. I couldn't live like that. But then I heard of the events regarding Kuja and I realised that I was being stupid.

"It was Zidane who convinced me to come back and take the chance. The way he stood up to me when I said I didn't remember you, he had seen that moment in my eyes where I remembered you and the love we shared and didn't want me to cower off and loose you after all you had been through. I kept arguing the two points in my head before I heard of what you all had done. On one side I may come as a huge disappointment to you and on the other this Zidane who you were obviously close to saw this fear within me and still urged me to tell you the truth. 

"Then I heard of the rumours of what happened at the lifa tree and I travelled to Alexandria in order to hear what the newly crowned Queen give her view on what happened. She said that Zidane had helped defeat Kuja and save all of Gaia even though it was never his responsibility. She was crying and so upset when she explained that even though Kuja had tried to kill them all and had an even darker past with Zidane himself he had gone back into the lifa tree during it's violent reaction to save Kuja. She said that Zidane always did the right thing no matter how hard it was and if we had ever had the honour of meeting him before then we should listen to what he says and try and do what he would, she said that way Gaia would be a better place with more people like him.

"I agreed with her and plucked up the courage to return to Burmecia, return to you. You were so happy to see me and when you kissed me for the first time all the love I'd tried to hide just overtook me; I have never regretted it, not for a second. Queen Garnet was right about Zidane and I have learnt a lot from him. You do not need to worry or question whether my love for you is real, most likely you have discussed it with Zidane and he has told you a similar thing, trust him Freya. Trust me."

Freya sniffed slightly as his words ended letting them slowly sink in one by one making sure she wasn't dreaming this. She looked up at Fratley expecting to see a smirk for fooling her but all she could see was his love for her, just as he had described it. She smiled happily and tightly hugged her love giving him the answer to whether she believed him. He gently laughed and gazed into her eyes longingly before moving in for a kiss…

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"Pick one." Zidane told her as they stood behind the castle where many airships and other uses for transportations stood waiting. She looked at him puzzled but he merely smiled and poked her in the back as an indication to start choosing. She grinned slightly as she turned her attention back to the options in front of her. 

The first was choco in his golden form looking slightly bored as he hopped off the ground and flew a little way up before coming back down again. The second was the Blue Narciss which was on a wooden platform with wheels in order to get it back to the ocean when it was needed. The third was a gargant being fed none stop in hopes of distracting it from it's current situation. Next was the Hilde Garde they had travelled in on their journey which felt familiar to Dagger filled her with warmth and good memories. Her smiled widened at the sight of it but she continues looking down the row of transport neatly lined for her to inspect. Next came the invincible which Zidane knew she wouldn't choose but had put there for the sake of it. Where was the fun in just going half way with this thing? He watched his grin widening as Dagger's eyes rested on the last option and a gasp of joy and surprise escaped from her.

"I think we have a winner." He whispered softly wrapping his arms round her waist as she gazed speechlessly at the theatre ship.

"H-how did you get this?" She asked walking closer and climbing onto the ship, already soldiers could be seen taking the other vessels or creatures away as Dagger stared in wonderment still not really believing it.

"I got Baku to lend me it as an early wedding gift." He told her laughing at the look on her face. "I thought you would like to travel in it without a bomb blowing it up at the same time."

"It's perfect! There's so many good memories on this ship. You were on it performing 'I want to be your canary' when I saw you for the first time. It's where we met Vivi and how I escaped from my mother. And best of all it where you came back to me after a year of desperate hope of you returning."

"Yeah, sorry it took so long but when you're more dead than alive and have no transport to get you to the mist continent…"

"None of that matters now." Dagger interrupted smiling at him happily. "This ship has brought us together twice; maybe, just maybe it can bring us together a third time." She hugged him tightly for the first time feeling some hope towards the future, Zidane knew her too well when it came to her emotions.

"This time I won't just declare you're mine but I'll sing our song and maybe even propose again. Or better still I'll grab a priest and decorations on the way back and marry you on the spot."

"Sounds great." Dagger whispered happily snuggling her head into his chest never wanting to leave it. "Pity we have to wait for all this to end."

"Well you have to have some complication in it, love overcomes all obstacles. Just imagine what we'll have to do to have children." Normally Dagger would blush at the thought but she was too preoccupied in Zidane's arms feeling more complete and alive than she ever thought possible. She was meant to be strong without him, but she felt her strongest while he was with her. It wasn't in the way of protectiveness like on their journey but just his presence made whatever was ahead of them seem more bearable then it had a few hours ago. 

"We'll get through this Dagger, I promise you we will get through this."

"I know we will." She replied closing her eyes as the two of them stood feeling utter peace and content in each other's arms.

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Vivi quickly ran into the town of Alexandria searching desperately for any traces of Zidane and Dagger. He tripped for the seventh time outside the chapel where he noticed Eiko was inside talking to the moogle there. 

"Eiko! Do you know where Dagger and Zidane are?" He asked her hardly able to contain his excitement and desperation.

"Yeah, Zidane mentioned he was going to take her somewhere for the day. If they haven't left already then they'll be behind the castle." She told him gloomily. "They will probably go off to some romantic place so they can spend time alone before he has to leave. Why you ask anyway? Are you saying your goodbye already?"

"No, I just want to tell him something I came up with to prevent the destructive soul controlling him." His excitement shining through his eyes as Eiko's face split into a huge grin and she jumped to her feet.

"Are you serious? Come on then we have to tell him!" With that she began running off towards the castle and Vivi had no choice but to follow.

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Zidane and Dagger were still in their peaceful embrace when they heard Eiko's shrieks of joy growing nearer. Zidane reluctantly let go and climbed off the theatre ship ready for when Eiko stopped breathlessly with Vivi just behind her.

"What's up?" Zidane asked knowing I wasn't anything bad by the look on their faces.

"Vivi…needs to..tell…you something." She gasped out breathlessly. Vivi then grabbed Zidane's arm and steered him out of hearing distance from both Dagger and Eiko. Zidane waited a few minutes while Vivi caught his breath before he began to explain his new plan.

"I think I know how to prevent you from being taken over by the destructive soul. You see when we take the mist from the monsters we use the tubes like you saw. Once when we were making one of my sons somehow too many souls got mixed up in him and one was a bad soul who wanted to destroy us. When we finally contained him we came up with the plan to add more mist in him so there would be no room for the extra soul and it would be forced out through the tube we out in. with us all taking more mist now we have no room for those souls which were the ones Kuja placed inside us when he wanted to control us. We can't be used as puppets anymore and if we put extra mist in you too then it can't take over you!" Even as he said it Zidane felt a sad smile come into place on his face. Vivi had noticed it through his excitement and all of sudden he felt a heavy ache in his heart.

"Vivi…"

"No! Zidane it will work, it has to work!" Zidane was shocked to see the tears rolling down the little black mage's face. This really had been his big plan to help him, he had been so sure it would work. Hoping that none of what took place next would have to happen.

"Vivi I'm not made from mist like you and the other black mages. Genomes are created using the bright light of Terra that hurts us when we look at it. It hurts us because it is apart of us and it can either make us stronger or take our soul if we had one. Just like the mist gets rid of excess souls in you the blue light can get rid of our soul completely, it's what happened to me in Pandemonium."

"But it could still work!" Vivi tried desperately.

"The souls that Kuja gave you were mixed with both mist and the blue light. This was done because he didn't have enough of the blue light to make all the souls he needed so he mixed it together to finish them. By doing this the souls were only temporary which was why the black mages suddenly stopped killing and fled to their village. I think you were the first black mage and it's why you have a longer life span even before you started taking the mist and it's why you look a little different. Kuja was the first of the angel of deaths and he looks different from the rest of us." Zidane paused realising he had gotten off track of his explanation and sighed slightly before he tried again.

"If those souls the black mages had been given were made entirely from the blue light of Terra then they would be a type of destructive soul for them. It wouldn't have been as lethal as the one made for me and Kuja but it would have made their killing urges last a lot longer, probably for the whole year of their life at the time.

"Anyway what I'm trying to say is that because those souls were made from the blue light and you were made from mist. Well if you put mist in me when I'm made from the blue light of Terra…"

"Then a mini-destructive soul will be made in you and you will just turn evil even quicker." Vivi whispered more tears spilling from his huge yellow eyes. "I thought I'd found a way to help you, but I just found a way to make it worse. How do you know all this for sure?" He asked grasping at the last straw he had.

"I'm not totally sure, it's like I'm sharing this connection with someone who knows it all."

"You mean Kuja? How?"

"It's nothing you need to know at the moment, I'm sure you will know soon enough." Zidane smiled at the puzzled look which crossed Vivi's face. It was soon replaced with a deep sorrow. "Vivi don't worry about me, I don't have a plan on how to stop me from having the destructive soul out in me but I do have a plan on how to get it out once it's in."

"Really?" Vivi asked excitement returning in his eyes. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you, I can only tell Dagger. She's the key in this and if anyone is going to get me back it has to be her. Please understand that." Vivi nodded hugging Zidane tightly.

"Goodbye Zidane. You've taught me so much."

"Hey, this one's more of a see you later than a goodbye okay?"

"Okay. I wanted so desperately to be the one to help you."

"You did, you're letting me take Dagger to your home remember? This is something really important and it's thanks to you I can do it. I have to go now but I'll see you later okay?"

"Okay." As Zidane ran off towards the theatre and a few minutes later helped it rise in the air Vivi couldn't help but utter one last word. "Goodbye…"

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Steiner hastily finished tending to the needs of the townspeople knowing that as soon as he was done he was free to spend his time as he chose. Zidane had strictly told him to spend this final day with Beatrix and as…romantic as possible. Normally the advice of a thief would have been shrugged off and thought of as an insult, but during their journey together Steiner had come to respect Zidane and his love for her majesty. 

Steiner remembered the conversation they had shared the previous night very well indeed…

***

"Hey rusty!" An exhausted looking Zidane called to the knight as Dagger's explanation ended.

"What do you want?" Steiner asked rudely feeling he should be trying to calm the townspeople than be socialising with a man who should obviously be asleep.

"Tomorrow is the last day before the big battle, you should spend all the time you can with your woman."

"I am assuming you are talking of Beatrix." Steiner pointed. "Unlike you I have duties to attend to tomorrow. Your job is to keep her majesty relaxed and confident." Zidane frowned at his words.

"It's not my job Steiner, it's just what she needs. I would never think of Dagger as a job."

"What about when you kidnapped her? Wasn't that as a job?"

"…That was different. I didn't know her back then. Anyway you're changing the subject, all you have to do tomorrow is take care of the townspeople and then you're free for the day. I suggest you use the time with Beatrix, you knight types are all about the job, you both need a break from it, especially with what's coming up."

"And since when did you become the expert in relationships?"

"Just trust me, Beatrix needs some time alone with you. You need to appreciate the woman more, you take her for advantage way too much. With women you have to keep the bond otherwise they are gone, can't blame them really it works the other way round just as quick, in some cases even quicker."

"What are you babbling on about?" Steiner was tired and becoming frustrated, in two days time they were going to war with people from another planet who they didn't have a clue on what they were capable of. Maybe he did need some time off. Steiner noticed that Zidane had just almost fallen to the floor despite the fact he was leaning against the wall.

"Look I need to go before I collapse but just remember this okay? Soon we are going to war and some of us might not make it, mainly me. I want to see you all happy before I go off and am forced to hate all my guts. I need to know that you are all strong and united so you will have the stronger will to live. Surely a knight knows that the will to live is something you need while going to face your doom. Just spend one day with the woman you love and you might get the chance to spend the rest of your life with her later because of it." With that Zidane stumbled off leaving Steiner with his thoughts.

***

Zidane had been right, much to Steiner's annoyance, he had seen what Steiner couldn't. They were all growing distant because of what was about to happen, fearing that soon they would lose one another. He as a knight and as a boyfriend should have seen that during this time it was important for your comrades or partner to be closer in order to share a stronger bond and emotion between you. It was vital to your survival because knowing you had friends fighting beside you willing to fight to the death with you and sharing the need to protect what they were protecting made you stronger. It made you feel as if you were not just one person but many, you were unstoppable as long as you had someone beside you representing the present and the future you could soon have. That is what Zidane had seen and he hadn't, he made a better knight than Steiner during these times.

Steiner found Beatrix handing out the last of the extra pillows requested with a strained smiled on her tired face. _Yes,_ Steiner thought_ we both need a day off._

"Beatrix, I request your presence immediately with an urgent matter which is vital before we face battle tomorrow."

"What's that Aldebert." Beatrix asked tiredly. Steiner turned slightly red but didn't let his stance change from what seemed to be pure protocol.

"I humbly request you to spend the rest of the day on a relaxing date with me, purely for war sake of course. It is well known that at times of war one must be as close as possible with those they are fighting with." Beatrix couldn't help a real smile break out across her face at his words and part-truthfulness which they both knew about.

"Really? And where would we be expected to go on this date?"

"Well," Steiner began linking his arm with hers and heading down the corridor. "I was thinking we would start off with a stroll around the kingdom and then maybe some dinner…"

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"So where exactly are we going?" Dagger asked Zidane throwing her arms around his waist as he carefully steered the theatre ship. He dared a moment to look at her with a knowing grin on his face.

"That you will find out when we get there and seeing as you keep peeking out the windows to see I'm going to have to blindfold you."

"You wouldn't." Dagger said confidently which soon wavered as she saw the grin on his face. "You're driving, if you let go we'll crash."

"Which would ruin the day, wouldn't it? Better not run then." He said completely serious. Dagger didn't resist as he began to tie a scarf around her eyes making it tight and completely opaque. "Don't worry we're nearly there. You'll be back in control soon enough." Dagger was tempted to hit him but stopped herself when she realised that one, he was driving and two, that was exactly what was bothering her about being tied up.

"You know me too well." She said smiling replacing her arms around his waist once again.

"I know, even when we were apart for a year I couldn't forget one little habit of yours. Now I've learnt all your new ones in three months too. You are completely predictable to me."

"Oh really? Would you predict it if I did this?" She asked innocently removing one of her hand from his waist and instead moving it down his back to begin stroking his tail. A smile of satisfaction placed itself on her face as she heard a shocked gasp from Zidane.

"Um Dagger? What are you doing?" He asked nervously.

"Why, didn't you predict I would do this?" She smirked continuing to stroke his soft tail knowing he couldn't move away while he was driving.

"Dagger please stop."

"Why? Does it hurt?"

"No, it's just…"

"Just what." Dagger asked enjoying every moment of Zidane's discomfort.

"…No ones touched my tail before, not without hurting it anyway. They certainly didn't start stroking it."

"Well I guess I did something unpredictable after all." She gloated.

"Okay you proved your point so will you stop it now?" 

"Do you want me to?" Zidane was silent at the question trying to resist something within him. He sighed slightly in defeat and Dagger was startled to hear a slight purr escape from his throat.

"D-did you just purr?"

"…No."

"Liar." She accused bursting out into laughter. "You're a big kitty aren't you?"

"Hey! I'm not a monkey or a cat! I just like…" He stopped realising it wasn't much of a case of defence.

"It's okay I won't tell anyone you purr when you're happy."

"Huh?"

"When you came back and I ran into your arms I could hear a soft purr from somewhere, I thought it was from the crowd at the time but it must have been from you." Zidane remained silent with only a slight purring noise coming from him as Dagger continued to stroke his tail gently. He didn't protest knowing Dagger wouldn't stop now she had found a weakness in him.

"We're here." He announced as the theatre ship touched the ground finally having the chance to stop Dagger but not doing so. Dagger removed her blindfold and gazed at Zidane's red face, she smiled at his embarrassed eyes.

"Why so embarrassed?"

"…No one touches the tail." He replied weakly.

"I do now. Especially seeing as it makes you so happy." Zidane just smiled at that and for the first time Dagger could see the hidden exhaustion beneath his joy and embarrassment. "Are you okay? You look so tired, will you be okay today?"

"I will where we're going." He told her replacing the scarf over her eyes despite her protests.

"I didn't even get a little peek." She whined teasingly wrapping her arms round Zidane's waist heading for his tail once more.

"That's not going to work you know, you had your chance to look but you were too distracted with making me blush. No matter how much you try now or how much you make me purr like a little kitty I'm not taking that blindfold off until we get inside where we're going."

"Spoiler." Dagger teased kissing him as well.

"Still not going to work. Come on lets get going."

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Amarant stood leaning against the outside wall of the castle gazing at the genomes in their unmoving positions. _How weak_ he thought to himself with a slight grunt_ to be so dependent on another person._ The thought used to cross his mind often before their journey but now when it came to mind he realised with a start that he also was one of these people.

All those years ago when he had encountered Zidane outside the mansion in Treno and changed his life from a fight crazed thug to a well feared criminal. He had seen the young thief come out who had managed to get out of the house with his prize, something many others had failed to do. Even though he could see he was young, fourteen years old at the most, he had thought of him as a worthy opponent seeing his skills and slickness at pulling off such a robbery. All the signs had been there of his trickery and he should have known he would have pulled the stunt that he did. 

"_The sly eagle hides it's claws._" He had told him while running off to freedom, Amarant didn't realise just how sharp Zidane's claws were until this all began. His brother had been the nearest person to destroying the world and now he was the person who would succeed. If Zidane had beaten him when he hadn't even realised he had such power how were they suspected to kill him now? They hadn't really defeated Kuja let alone defeat Zidane. They had defeated him and he had unleashed ultima on them all leaving them weak and almost dead. If Zidane was stronger than that how were they suppose to kill him? How do you defeat an enemy with no weakness? 

"But he does have a weakness." Amarant realised suddenly, it was the same weakness Amarant had had when challenging Zidane that day. Emotion. 

Amarant had been so focused and desperate to have a worthy battle with anyone that he had been blind to the hints of what he was like and what he would do. He had let his emotions cloud his judgement at the most crucial moment resulting with his life now. In a way he preferred his life now from what it used to be. He was well feared and never bored with his work, plus he got many fights from those who tried to turn him in. It was the life he had been expecting all his life considering his first memory was the face of a guy he had to beat. Zidane had given this to him because of that emotion in him, he had given him exactly what he needed, it was why he didn't hold a grudge against him. But for so long throughout the journey he had not realised the reason for Zidane's ways, now he did. _So why am I still here?_

Amarant pushed the thought aside and concentrated on the matter at hand once more, the weakness that both Zidane and he held. If Dagger were to be there at the most crucial moment it might make the new Zidane hesitate long enough for them to perform a fatal blow. Amarant hadn't believed Zidane for a second when he had told them his soul that he had now would already be gone when the new soul entered his body. It seemed too convenient for Amarant's liking. Plus anyone could just look at the black mages and see that their souls had somehow resurfaced, they must have still been in their bodies under the other soul and Amarant was sure Zidane would have a similar fate. 

He had said it so they would be able to kill him, yet now because Amarant knew of it he had a weakness in this angel of death. If it tried to kill maybe Zidane's soul would fight inside to make it hesitate long enough for him to finish it off. _It's a big if, what if I'm wrong? Can I really risk Dagger's life? Why do I care anyway? Why am I still here with them? I have my answer I was looking for I don't need to be here anymore. Is it possible that I have a bond with these people. That I actually care what happens to them?_

"Hey!" Called an annoying whiny voice interrupting his thoughts. "What are you doing here?" Eiko asked him, Amarant groaned.

"Shouldn't you be spending this last day with your new parents?" He asked her trying to get rid of her.

"They had to go to Limblum and get some of their army ready to help Alexandria tomorrow, they said I could come but I would have gotten bored. Now I can't find Vivi, I haven't seen him since he talked to Zidane this morning. He thought he had a plan to prevent the destructive soul taking over him but it turned out it wouldn't work."

"Pity." Amarant muttered.

"What, you mean you actually care?"

"Why would I care about that monkey? I just don't want him to blow up the planet I'm living on." 

"I don't think so, why would you be here if you didn't care?"

"I just explained it to you, you brat!"

"That's not a reason, you could just leave it to us to take care of it. Even when we all thought Zidane was dead you came back to Alexandria for the reunion and play. You care about us and you care about what happens to us too." Eiko told him triumphantly. 

"…What happened to that little brat I used to know?"

"She grew up. You know I know what It's like to be alone. For two years it was just me and the moogles at Madain Sari. All I wanted was someone human to talk to who would look after me and help me when I needed it. I didn't want to have to act tough all the time and now I'm lucky to have my family and all my friends. You're grateful for them too, you just don't realise it yet. I bet that year you spent alone after the journey was one of the loneliest times you have ever had though. That alone proves you care. I'm going to find Vivi now, you can keep on staring at the genomes because they are no longer alone like they were before. That's why you're watching them isn't it? Because now they are more complete than you are." With that she walked off leaving Amarant to wonder how a little brat could know the truth that accurately, maybe she too had suffered from loneliness that he had once he had separated from his friends after his link to them had died. Maybe it was time he made a new and stronger link.

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Quina was working harder than he ever had over this last year and three months of working in the Alexandria's kitchens. Tonight was the last time Zidane would eat here and he wanted it to be the yummiest meal he had eaten in his whole life. He had already made two picnics today and was now fully concentrating on the main meal of the night. Only two from the group wouldn't be attending but Quina had already tended to their needs. 

"I make good yummie yummies for Zidane and my other friends, make it from heart, very important, must make from heart." Quina felt sad that Zidane had to go and turn different but he also felt Zidane needed to have good meal before he did. That way he would remember them more while he was away.

"I miss Zidane, but give him yummie yummies and he'll miss me too!" And so Quina continued working on the meal for his friend who had showed him the world and it's many tastes. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Eiko found Vivi in the deserted mini theatrewhich Ruby had been forced to leave when everyone was requested to stay in the castle. He was stood on the tiny stage gazing around him with a sad smile in his eyes. 

"What's up Vivi? I've been looking everywhere for you?"

"I met Zidane on a stage, first time I saw him he was playing the friend of Marcus in 'I want to be your canary'. He was really good in the fighting scene. Then when he came on again with Dagger in disguise the guards started chasing me because I'd snuck in. I ran onto the stage and set Dagger on fire by accident. Even after that Zidane was so nice and he saved my life in the Evil Forest even though I froze when Dagger needed my help. He helped me so much during the journey when I felt sad about the black mages, now when he needs it most I can't help him."

"You're only one person Vivi, you can't take on that responsibility on your own."

"Wait! That's it Eiko! You've done it!"

"Huh?"

"More people! We need more people to help us fight tomorrow."

"Mother and father are already getting their army…"

"We need more, the black mages! They'll be stronger from taking more mist and there's more of us. They owe Zidane their freedom from when he defeated Kuja, surly they will help!" 

"I thought they were afraid of humans, why would they fight with us?"

"It's not about who they are fighting with, it's about who they are fighting. The Terrans started this if it wasn't for them making Garland he would of never made Kuja who would never of made them to use as killing machines. They need to prove to themselves and the Terrans that they are free to make their own choices now and won't act as mindless puppets for them. It's something they need to do." Vivi waiting impatiently as Eiko thought it over in her head, she looked up at him and smiled brightly.

"What are we waiting for them? Let's go to the black mage village!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Can I take this thing off yet?" Dagger asked getting slightly agitated at the constant darkness. Zidane gave her a reassuring kiss knowing as always how she was feeling and how to make her feel better.

"Just a bit further." He told her teasingly kissing her neck as he guided her through the entrance of their destination. "Okay, now you can take it off." Dagger waited a moment before hearing Zidane sigh and remove the blind fold for her. She smiled loving how much she was getting her own way since the tail incident, except the whole blindfold thing of course.

Dagger gasped as she gazed around at where they were and realised where it was.

"I know it's not the prettiest of places but I thought we could spend the day where we have no real memories. No reminders of anything going on outside here while we spend this final day together."

"Plus it has spring water."

"Yeah, that too."

"Did you ask Vivi if we could come here?"

"Yeah, he was fine with it. He said he hasn't been here for a while and it would be good for someone to come and keep it feeling homely."

"Quan's dwelling." Dagger whispered leaning against Zidane as she gazed around, the sudden support nearly made Zidane's tired body fall over but he recovered before that happened.

"Are you okay?" She asked turning to face him the exhaustion showing more clearly than it had before on the theatre ship.

"Yeah, just need a bit of that spring water."

They slowly made their way towards the rope which would lead them down near the water. Zidane felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as he leaned heavily on Dagger for support, she smiled and gently kissed him on top of the head as she guided him towards the rope.

"Some date this is with me like this." He joked half heartedly.

"Well you said before I have to be the strong one now, you're just letting me practice, boosts a girl's ego." She told him unable to stop her smile or the happiness she was feeling despite everything that was ahead of them. _How do you do this to me Zidane? How do you make me feel so happy and complete when I know what's about to happen to you?_

"Shall I go first or you?" She asked.

"Not sure, you might need to catch me." Dagger grinned and quickly slid down the rope getting ready to cast a spell if Zidane fell.

Zidane did really try to slide down without falling, but as he did his tired hands began to loosen their grip and before he could try to re-grab the rope he was falling. Dagger had been prepared for this and quickly cast float on her falling fiancée grabbing his leg before he began to float back up to the top.

Dagger waited patiently until the float spell wore off and quickly grabbed Zidane as he began to drift down. His face was coated in a layer of sweat and his eyes were closed, he was currently in a half dose from the sheer exhaustion of the actions he had done so far that day. As Dagger struggled with Zidane to get him near the water as noticed a picnic was set out at the far end ready for them with a wooden box in the centre which puzzled her. _I wonder what's in there…_

She gently laid Zidane's tired body near the picnic and picked up one of the beakers to fill with some spring water. Knowing too well he wasn't allowed too much of it she didn't dare take him to the water and let him drink to his heart's content. Who knows what could happen with lots of spring water and some true potion in his system.

Shaking Zidane awake she lifted his head and gently allowed him to drink the water, he soon began to grab it off her roughly desperately drinking for the strength he so desperately wanted to be able to protect her. Once he had finished the bottle he stared with temptation at the water near-by but after a few minutes shook his head sighing and laid down on his back. Dagger smiled proudly and laid beside him making him turn his head so she could gaze into his eyes.

"I'm so proud of you." She whispered rewarding him with a gentle kiss. "Now let's see if this food is any good." She crawled over to the picnic heading straight for the wooden box in the centre.

"Don't open it yet." Zidane told her laughing at the playful pouting face she gave him. "Let's eat first." Ignoring Dagger's glare Zidane calmly began to eat a chicken leg holding out one towards her. "You can either eat with me or watch me eat but you still have to wait either way." Dagger roughly grabbed the chicken leg and turned away with her back facing Zidane as she quietly began to eat.

"Hey, don't be mad at me." He whined wrapping his arms around her waist and trying to make her turn around and face him. She avoided his eyes trying her best not to break out in a smile as he leaned heavily on her causing her to lie on her back with him on top beginning to kiss her neck softly.

"Hey!" She protested. "That's not fair you can't use my weakness against me!"

"It's what you've been doing to me since you've found out mine." He pointed out moving up from her neck to her mouth, Dagger at first tried to put up a fight but her will couldn't last long against his kisses. A few minutes later Zidane broke away their kiss and was satisfied when he heard a groan of frustration coming from Dagger.

"Okay, are you going to eat or sulk some more?" He asked giving her a quick kiss before climbing off her and helping her to her feet. She smiled and began eating again making herself comfy on his lap as she did. _Can't get away that easily_ she thought. 

Noticing that as he ate he kept his gloves on which were now becoming greasy from the food Dagger gently took his hands and began to take his gloves off. Zidane didn't protest but she could see the fear in his eyes, she kissed him reassuringly as she took off his gloves and gently caressed his hands with her own.

"Okay you can open it now." Zidane told watching her as she quickly grabbed it and gently sat back on his lap before she opened it up. She let out a gasp as she looked in and saw her pendant necklace laying undisturbed as she had last seen it on the floor.

"How…?"

"Eiko picked it up later and gave it to me in case you would ever need it again. I think you'll need it for when you summon him Dagger. He's not an ordinary eidolon and you'll need Eiko and all four pendants to be able to pull this off."

"How do you know all this?" She asked him puzzled.

"…I share this connection with him, I won't tell you because he'll want to show off about it. Just remember for this to work you need to be strong no matter what so everything will work out okay."

"What if I don't feel strong enough?" She asked burying her face in his chest not wanted to look him in the eyes. Zidane sighed slightly lifting her head so she couldn't hide from his bright blue eyes.

"Dagger, when I was spending that whole year trying to get to you I would often lose my strength and hop of ever returning in one piece. But every time I thought I began to lose my faith and began to wonder what the point was I began to sing our song. Sometimes I would be so weak from fighting or from my wounds at the lifa tree that I couldn't move, but I would sing our song and a new strength would fill me, my love for you and the determination to see you once again, be in your arms and kiss you for the first time. Sometimes I would feel like giving up convincing myself that you would have already moved on and married like a Queen was expected to. But then I would sing our song and realise you were too stubborn to listen to what I taught you.

"So Dagger when your strength fails and you feel you can't go on… no matter how hopeless the situation seems or how much you feel like giving in just sing our song. It will give you hidden strength and power when you remember our love." With those words Zidane hugged her tightly making no attempt to move as the feeling of utter completeness washed over them both. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Fratley where are we going? We're going to be late for the feast." Freya told him following her love over the rooftops of Alexandria.

"We're not going to the feast." He told her calmly making a giant leap to jump onto the top of Alexandria castle. Freya followed in a slight state of shock beginning to question him when she had reached the top but was stopped when she looked at what was in front of her. 

The night had grown dark revealing the bright twin moons shining high in the sky, on the roof in form of Freya was a small picnic.

"For old times sake." Fratley told her taking her hand lightly and directing her to sit in a big enough spot for them both.

"You didn't have to do this." Freya told him weakly gazing from him to the breath taking view.

"Yes I did, it's what we needed, and there's something more I need to do too." He gently knelt down on one knee and brought out a beautiful necklace from his pocket. Burmecians were never ones for rings and many chose to use necklaces instead to show their love. The necklace was mostly plain knowing Freya didn't like anything too flashy except a single diamond in the middle reflecting the light of the moon and sparking its fascinating colours around it.

"Oh, it's beautiful." Freya said fascinated.

"Freya," Fratley began. "I love you more than memories can prove and more than I ever thought possible. I promise you here under the twin moons that once this is all over with I will marry you Freya."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

When Zidane and Dagger returned to Alexandria they found everyone waiting for them so they could begin the big feast.

"Where's Freya and Fratley?" Dagger asked, Zidane smiled knowing what must be happening with them.

"Fratley ask Quina to make picnic, he said he and Freya wouldn't be at feast." Quina informed them setting the last of the food on the already full table.

"Wow this looks really good Quina."

"Yes," Quina agreed. "Qu's cook better when cooking for friends because then they cook from heart. That is why Zidane must come back soon because you best friend and cooking not as good when you not here. I will miss you friend." With that Zidane was committed to a bone crushing hug before he was able to sit down and let the feast begin.

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After finishing the best meal Zidane had ever had in his life he and Dagger to began heading upstairs.

"You know what?" He suddenly said stopping. "you go up ahead and I'll be there in a little while."

"Saying goodbye?" She asked hugging him to give him extra strength.

"Yeah, I wish I didn't have to."

"It's all part of leaving, but then you'll be coming back soon right?"

"Yeah, if everything goes smoothly."

"See you soon then." She told him continuing her way up the stairs.

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It was Vivi who first approached him out of the friends, e had a mixture of sadness and excitement in his eyes as he came over to Zidane.

"Hey Vivi, what's up?"

"N-nothing, I just wanted to tell you that…well the black mages have agreed to help with the battle tomorrow."

"What? Vivi this isn't there fight!"

"Yes it is! It's their fight as much as it is yours! They were made by Kuja and these people started the cycle off in which Kuja would be produced. They need to see these people and show them that they cannot be controlled by them anymore. And also in a way they believe they owe this much to the genomes. They were their friends and they feel they should be with them till the end, no matter what side they are on."

"…Thank you Vivi. They may help turn the tides, you have done so much to help, more than any other one person could have done." He gave him a quick hug and saw the sadness leave Vivi's eyes.

"I'll see you later then." Vivi called as he ran off to greet the black mages.

"Goodbye." Zidane whispered knowing Vivi wouldn't hear.

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Zidane was about to make his way outside when he heard Eiko call out to him to wait. 

"Look," She began before Zidane could speak. "I'm no good at saying goodbye so just don't talk until I've finished." Seeing Zidane's nod she continued hurriedly. "Okay Zidane during our journey together I kind of fell in love with you, in fact I still do love you. But I know that you and Dagger are meant for each other. When you were away Dagger was always trying to be so strong yet she used to be so sad. That's why this time you have to come back again, a lot earlier then a year if you can." Zidane laughed slightly at the sudden outburst.

"Sure Eiko I promise I'll come back. But I also need you to do something for me, I want you to listen to Dagger and do whatever she asks you to no matter how crazy or wrong it seems."

"I will Zidane." Zidane then knelt down to give Eiko a hug, she then quickly kissed him on the cheek and turned around to leave. She took a few steps away from him when she suddenly stopped and began to say more not turning around to face him.

"Just remember Zidane that you will never be alone no matter what. Your friends will always be with you, especially Dagger."

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Eventually making it outside Zidane saw Steiner near the river waiting for Beatrix. 

"So I take it you took the advice?" Zidane asked coming to stand next to the startled knight. 

"Yes and I…I would like to thank you for the advise, you were right about Beatrix."

"No problem, just here to help while I can." There was silence Zidane feeling too tired and sad to make a usual snide remark.

"Zidane…despite our differences I will miss your company. You will see me right by her Majesty's side trying to reclaim you from that monster."

"Thanks Rusty." Zidane said quietly feeling a sudden warmth towards the knight. "Just…look after Dagger for me will you?"

"I will give my life before I let anyone hurt her." Steiner said with the hidden meaning they both caught.

"Thanks, at least I can count on you to protect her against anything…even me."

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Freya was waiting in the hallway when Zidane came back inside the castle.

"Hey, how did it go?" Zidane asked her.

"Oh you know, a proposal under the twin moons. I think it's the most popular way this week."

"Whoa! Congratulations" Zidane told her giving her a hug.

"Thank you Zidane for everything. You have changed so much from when I first met you when I was eleven years old and my family were on holiday in Treno. You watched us with such amazement when we walked past you towards the inn. You looked so lost and alone that when I could get away from my parents I went looking for you. You told me that you were all alone and had been for two years. You said you couldn't remember anything before that, you could only remember being alone. For the two weeks I was there I would always come and play with you making sure you had enough to eat and a place to sleep. Then the day before I was going home you came to me and said that a man named Baku wanted to join his gang of thieves and be part of their family. I got so angry at you saying you shouldn't associate with thieves. You told me that you were so sick of being alone and that was how you would be soon when I left. You said you were sick of people looking at you as if you were a monster just because you were human with a tail."

"Yeah, and the next time I saw you was in Limblum when I was what? Ten? You were sixteen and in love with Fratley."

"I'm sorry I said those things about thieves. I used to think back then that they were people with no hearts."

"You weren't far off. It's tough being a thief, you have to be tough to be able to steal from people and not care."

"Yet you have changed from that yet again, changed from a lost lonely boy to a heartless thief to a, what are you now?"

"A love sick alien with an evil inside of him."

"…I was going to say a young man with an open heart for his friends and a loyalty so strong he would be willing to die for his friend's safety. You are sacrificing everything, so I have decided the least I can do is stay with Dagger till the end and help any way I can."

"Thank you Freya and I wish you all the best." Zidane hugged her one last time before heading up the stairs trying to hold back tears.

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Amarant was waiting for him in the shadows of the corridor, as he watched Zidane come up the stairs he could of sworn he saw him wipe away a tear."You know I met you before this mess all began, it was in Treno and I challenged you to a fight but you tricked me, now thanks to you I'm one of the most wanted criminals." Amarant waited until a look of realisation came on Zidane's face.

"Um…sorry about that." He said weakly.

"Don't, I don't hold a grudge against you in fact I want to…thank you. You have influenced my life in a way that I have gotten the one I always wanted. I'm no longer dying of boredom as a guard. You have been a…friend to me and you've taught me a lot about people. I just want to tell you that I will stay till the end and look after the others while you're not here." Zidane smiled weakly again at his words.

"I take it you've found my weakness then?" Amarant nodded. "Good, I want you to use it no matter what will happen because of it." Amarant again nodded. "Thanks, and good luck in the future okay?"

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Zidane lightly knocked on Dagger's door and entered seeing her laid on her bed reading 'I want to be your canary'. Zidane couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Thinking of old times." He asked her but soon fell silent when seeing the look on her face.

"Zidane…I just want to say that no matter what happens I will never stop looking for you. I will give up my throne if I have to just to be with you."

"Dagger…"

"If you die then I will die too. That year I spent without you was one where I lived like a zombie, just going through it with no real emotions. I can't go through that again. I love you too much to loose you again." She kissed him softly and they cuddle in each others arms.

"Dagger." Zidane whispered. "I will always love you no matter how I am, just remember that okay?"

Saying that they laid down falling asleep in each others arms. _I hope this plan works._ Zidane thought before giving into darkness.

Hope you like it remember if it was really bad tell me and I'll rewrite it. My sister did proof read this one she said it was really cute but she might have been lying because she's my sister and she has to put up with me. In case you're wondering I will go into more detail about how Zidane and Freya know each other. 

I know that some of them seemed a bit out of character in this chapter but they are all spending what could be their last day together so I thought it would work that way. Zidane was all like advice giving in a way so that he would be remembered that way instead of what he is about to become. Dagger was all happy and acting all spoilt because she's determined to forget about what lies ahead. Eiko is acting all grown up because she wants to help and she thinks she will seen more useful that way. Vivi was pretty much in character, Steiner was the way I would think he would be in that type of situation. Amarant suddenly realised how alone he was going to be when Zidane wasn't there because he's his excuse for sticking around them all. Beatrix I didn't know enough about so I just did what I thought she'd be like under the cold I'm-going-to-kill-you-all-thing that she does through most of the game.

Okay next chapter is the battle ^_^ finally the main summary for this story has been reached ten chapters later. Please review and tell me what you felt about the chapter but I would just like to say no matter what you say I am not changing the whole stroking tail purring thing because I have always planned to put it in since I began writing this. Not changing that. Anyway with school approaching and with it being my last year updates might be distant but I will try my best. I have to complete my art project before school starts so I can't write another word until that is done. Review and they might tempt me enough to forget about work ^_^ 


	12. Garland

Sorry all but school is evil and now I only get the weekend to write and maybe sometimes a few hours during the week. This is pretty short but I thought something is better than nothing. Garland does make an appearance in case you didn't guess from the title. I'll try and update soon I know what is happening in the next one pretty well so it should be no longer then a week. 

I would like to advertise (again) this ff10 fic called Life as Tidus by Cryptic Dragon. It is really cute and good please read ^_^

Disclaimer: for Myshu I would like to say that I neither stole the purring idea from you or if you ever write it in a fic you never got it from me. We are just two people with the same idea. Sorry I did it first please use it I know you aren't copying me and now everyone else does too.

It was the next day with Zidane's tail had half-grown back that Garland finally came. The genomes were the first clue that he was arriving for they all finally moved from their positions and began to attack the city itself. Zidane could sense the new souls inside them and what he felt was something that scared him deeply. These souls had no mercy or regret, they had been destroying planets for too long to feel anything when they killed and slaughtered living things. The power they possessed was strong but no-where near as powerful as Kuja had been.

Zidane and his friends gathered round in the conference room where Dagger was ordering the knights of Pluto to their various tasks. Zidane watched her and saw a fierce burning flame inside her he had only seen before as she fought Kuja. This too was like the final battle, after this it would never be the same again.

"Remember use as much force as necessary but don't kill the genomes, maybe we can hurt then enough to commit them to surrender. The genomes shouldn't be hurt, this isn't their fault."

"No." Zidane interrupted his voice hollow. "They are just empty vessels; they were built for this purpose. You can't show mercy to the Terrans for they will fight until their deaths, they lost any decency they had a long time ago. Those who had more morale dedicated their lives to protect this planet, but they are already helping us through Dagger and Eiko."

"What do you mean?" Eiko asked confused.

"Show them no mercy." Zidane told them ignoring her question. "For it will only equal your own deaths." Vivi shivered at the lack of emotion shown in Zidane's voice as he said it and his unfocused eyes staring off into nothingness. Dagger noticed this and took his hand (which was now bare) which seemed to bring him back to normal as he smiled weakly at her. 

"You hear him." Dagger said to the knights as they saluted and left to carry out the commands, she them turned to Zidane and hugged him tightly. "Don't leave me Zidane." She begged.

"I have to. They won't be able to stop them alone. It's time I took responsibility for my own people."

"They are not your people."

"No. they are the masters of my creator, which makes me just another puppet to them. But I'll show them just how much a puppet can do, I'll show them I can protect Gaia just as the other Terran's had tried to." With that Zidane untangled himself from Dagger unwillingly and kissed her briefly before walking out of the room towards the town of Alexandria. Dagger watched him go with unshed tears beginning to fall knowing it may be the last time she ever saw him.

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As Zidane ran into the town seeing the state it had already been committed to within the first half hour of chaos he was just glad that the townspeople were safe within the castle walls… for now anyway.

"Time to get the old blade out." He muttered coldly to himself drawing out his ultimate weapon and getting ready to charge the line of Terran's heading towards him. They abruptly stopped in front of him staring as he looked at them determined in his fighting position with no hint of emotion on his face. They turned to one another a smile of amusement lighting their faces.

_"This is the defence of this planet?"_ One asked speaking in ancient Terran yet Zidane was able to understand his words. _"One treacherous vessel?"_ They began laughing heartily making it rather clear to Zidane that they didn't do so often from the noises escaping them. _"Very well vessel, we will finish you off and rebuilt your body to put another Terran soul in, they are all becoming impatient now their souls have awakened."_ With that the first struck using a spear as a weapon, he tried to strike Zidane in the stomach but Zidane managed to block it taken back slightly by the speed and grace his opponent possessed. _Of course they're fast _he realised kicking himself mentally _they have the genomes, they are just as quick as Kuja and me._

Following the first strike began a dance of death involving Zidane and five Terran's. Two carried spears and three had swords yet Zidane managed to block every attend of attack from them, he would turn to block never realising he had known they were behind him and not daring to question it in case his concentration broke. He could merely clear his mind and react to his senses telling him where to turn and when to strike out. He had managed to take down four of them but they were quickly replaced by four more. Every time he struck one enough to make them lose conscience or maybe even kill them they were replaced before he could see where they were coming from. 

_"Give up vessel, we are too great in numbers to be stopped."_ One called to him as he continued his swinging dance. He realised with desperation that he was beginning to tire, already the true potion was wearing off and his strength was leaving him. _What now? I can't last much longer…_

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Dagger was growing impatient as she waited with the townspeople safely inside the castle, Steiner had insisted she be safe. After all she hadn't fought in a battle for over a year. 

"Dagger we have to help them!" Eiko complained picking up her rod and getting ready to leave the castle.

"Eiko, we are suppose to be guarding the townspeople."

"Yeah right, they only said that to keep us here! They have two guards outside the door!" After proving this by opening the door and seeing two rather shocked Alexandrian soldiers Eiko charged past them, Dagger had no choice but to ignore the protests and complaints of the soldiers and the townspeople by following her.

"Eiko!" She called out running out the castle and stopping suddenly at the sight that greeted her. Someone had been casting fire spells on the buildings which were now being demolished by the flames. The castle remained undamaged but across the water the kingdom was in chaos. Dagger felt her hands raise to her mouth in a position of shock but quickly tried to shake it off. _No I can't do that this time, I have to be strong, the strongest. For Zidane._

She found Eiko sitting in an abandoned boat trying to pull away from the shore but failing miserably and nearly breaking the stick. Dagger sighed with a slight smile on her face as she climbed in and took it from her heading out across the water.

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The others were fighting as hard as they could in the town square wondering were the rest of the Terrans were. It seemed that only ten were around them but they proved to be enough for the group, even with Vivi's magic. 

"What are we going to do?" Vivi asked using his second to last ether and continuing to cast firaga.

"I don't know." Freya said helplessly avoiding a swing from a sword and trying to pull out a potion for her arm where she had been struck. "We have to protect the townspeople no matter what!"

"Where's Zidane?" Steiner called using his magic sword and burning a Terran rather badly.

"I don't know! He came out first, he must be further into town!" Freya told him managing to drink the potion and continue fighting. 

"I hope he's okay, we don't seem to have most of the Terrans. They are probably after him, let's hope this angel of death thing will help him for now." Vivi said. They were all growing tired, missing more hits and receiving more blows. It was when Vivi began to fall to the ground when he heard the sound of running footsteps coming closer. He looked up wearily expecting to see more Terrans but realised with new strength it was…

"The black mages!" He called out causing the Terrans to turn and stare at the reinforcements arrival. Their faces suddenly turned more serious as Vivi was tossed a potion and many more fire spells began to be released. From that moment the Terran's stopped playing around and began to use their own magic…

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Dagger and Eiko arrived in the town square to be greeted with a horrific sight. Many black mages and Terran's lay unmoving on the floor with what looked like around thirty Terran's and more arriving every second.

"Where are they all coming from?" Dagger wondered aloud while counting her friends to see whether they were all there. "Where's Zidane?"

"Dagger! We have to help! We have to summon!" Eiko said already beginning to call out for help silently to an eidolon.

"No Eiko! I-I don't think that's a very good idea." She said remembering the destruction of Madain Sari. 

"We have to! They're going to die!" With that the sky turned a multicoloured look and Terra homing landing in front of them both. But instead of performing the attack the eidolon could only stand and stare in shock at the just as shocked Terrans. The shock however didn't last long and not even Terran homing could protect the young summoners from the sudden rush of the Terrans all calling out,

_"KILL THE SUMMONERS! KILL THEM!"_

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Zidane was about ready to surrender and be killed in order to get it over with once they had started using magic. The only reason he was still standing while narrowly dodging spears, swords and fire balls was the realisation that the Terran's were becoming slower at replacing their fallen. This new last shed of hope was able to keep his exhausted body and mind fighting even when his strength had continuously threatened to leave him. 

His stocks of potions had long run out and he silently cursed himself for turning down Dagger's offer to learn some white magic over the last three months. Just when once again he thought of defeat began to cross his mind he heard the shout of ancient Terran coming from the square.

_"KILL THE SUMMONERS! KILL THEM!"_

Zidane instantly dropped his death dancing act and ran towards the square ignoring the pain from fire balls hitting their targets. He had to get to Dagger before it was too late…

That was when he heard a loud bang.

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Dagger watched helplessly as the Terrans yelled out a the same Terran words over and over knowing they were nothing good about her future. Eiko was helplessly commanding Terra homing to attack as the Terran's came closer. The poor eidolon was trying his best to get as many Terran's into his attack as possible before performing it and leaving. Many lay dead or injured on the floor as a result but still too many were drawing closer to them. Dagger had just made up her mind to summon Bahamut when she heard a familiar voice speaking in Terran.

The Terran's were pulling back at the commanding voice making a path amongst them so Dagger was able to confirm her suspicion.

"Garland." She stated coldly glaring at the old man who carried a strange weapon in his hand she had never seen anything like before. It was black in colour and seemed to be made of metal yet it was small in his hand compared to other weapons she knew of.

"Hello, Queen Garnet." Garland said to her in Gaian, "Or should I call you Sarah? I mean you really aren't a Queen at all in blood are you?"

"I may not be by blood but I am still the Queen of this Kingdom and I want you out of my land now." Dagger ordered sounding braver than she felt, she smiled slightly inside a the situation remembering what Zidane told her about being the bravest out of them.

"How very noble of you, no doubt your man told you to be strong. It's not going to work like that in this situation young Sarah, I am here for one thing and until I get it I will keep myself occupied by destroying your kingdom."

"I won't let you take him." Dagger told him no doubt visible within her. Garland smiled slowly raising the weapon within his hand and aiming one end at her heart.

"No, I suppose you would rather sacrifice your people than your love. That's why I brought this little invention with me to convince Zidane to leave." The black weapon shone in the sun as if emphasising Garland's threat. "This is something called a gun, quite deadly even compared to spears and swords. All I have to do is squeeze this little trigger and a small bit of metal will come out very quickly, too quickly for you to move before it pierces through your flesh. If it hits you in the right place then you will die instantly, but I can also make sure you die slowly. I bet this will make Zidane change his mind, even though I really wanted to make him kill you himself I'll have to settle with the rest of his friends instead." With those words echoing in Dagger's head Garland pulled the trigger and a loud bang was heard… 

I know its not a lot and a left it at an evil bit but with school and sunset I barely have time to breathe let alone write my fic and my new story. I don't get much sleep now either, but reviews encourage me to keep going. I HAVE OVER 50 REVIEWS!!!! I can't believe it! Little old me has a story with people reading it! Me so happy ^_^


	13. tearful departures

Yes I do live! I am so sorry I am two weeks overdue on this chapter and I am really sorry to all! School is hell with work and I haven't had time to breathe let alone write my stories. I pushed work aside for a while to do this chapter because it is my birthday in a week so I probably wouldn't have done it then and I didn't want you to wait any longer when I left it with such an evil cliff hanger.

By the way have you all seen pirates of the Caribbean? It is so good if you haven't seen it let go now! Johnny Depp is so funny and oh so cute ^_^ anyway on with the chapter… 

Dagger watched helplessly as the Terrans yelled out a the same Terran words over and over knowing they were nothing good about her future. Eiko was helplessly commanding Terra homing to attack as the Terran's came closer. The poor eidolon was trying his best to get as many Terran's into his attack as possible before performing it and leaving. Many lay dead or injured on the floor as a result but still too many were drawing closer to them. Dagger had just made up her mind to summon Bahamut when she heard a familiar voice speaking in Terran.

The Terran's were pulling back at the commanding voice making a path amongst them so Dagger was able to confirm her suspicion.

"Garland." She stated coldly glaring at the old man who carried a strange weapon in his hand she had never seen anything like before. It was black in colour and seemed to be made of metal yet it was small in his hand compared to other weapons she knew of.

"Hello, Queen Garnet." Garland said to her in Gaian, "Or should I call you Sarah? I mean you really aren't a Queen at all in blood are you?"

"I may not be by blood but I am still the Queen of this Kingdom and I want you out of my land now." Dagger ordered sounding braver than she felt, she smiled slightly inside a the situation remembering what Zidane told her about being the bravest out of them.

"How very noble of you, no doubt your man told you to be strong. It's not going to work like that in this situation young Sarah, I am here for one thing and until I get it I will keep myself occupied by destroying your kingdom."

"I won't let you take him." Dagger told him no doubt visible within her. Garland smiled slowly raising the weapon within his hand and aiming one end at her heart.

"No, I suppose you would rather sacrifice your people than your love. That's why I brought this little invention with me to convince Zidane to leave." The black weapon shone in the sun as if emphasising Garland's threat. "This is something called a gun, quite deadly even compared to spears and swords. All I have to do is squeeze this little trigger and a small bit of metal will come out very quickly, too quickly for you to move before it pierces through your flesh. If it hits you in the right place then you will die instantly, but I can also make sure you die slowly. I bet this will make Zidane change his mind, even though I really wanted to make him kill you himself I'll have to settle with the rest of his friends instead." With those words echoing in Dagger's head Garland pulled the trigger and a loud bang was heard… 

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What Zidane suddenly experienced when he heard that bang was something far beyond trance, even Kuja's. Kuja's had been from pure anger of another souls, but this anger Zidane experienced was entirely his own. _How dare they even think of hurting Dagger? How dare they come here to her kingdom and hurt her when all they want is me?_

Kuja had turned red like the light of Terra but Zidane began to glow a dazzling and blinding blue that hurt all Terran eyes. He mostly glided rather than ran the rest of the way in less than a second in order to see the scene in front of him clearly. A small piece of metal was heading quickly towards Dagger faster then Zidane would have normally been able to see. Without thinking or realising what he was doing he concentrated hard on the small metal silently praying that he knew what he was doing.

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Dagger couldn't understand what was happening as the small piece of metal began to slow its speeding attack towards her. She watched unable to move as it slowly began to dissolve in front of her very eyes. 

"I wouldn't piss me off if I were you." Came a cold voice that sent a chill running through Dagger. She turned to her left to see Zidane glowing a bright blue colour staring directly at Garland and the other Terran's who were helplessly covering up their eyes.

"Impressive." Garland breathed with admiration from behind his shelter. "Even without the destructive soul you have found some of the hidden power you possess."

"This? This is just Trance in a greater form, like Kuja was once in. Except Kuja's wasn't nearly as powerful because he was running on the anger from Queen Brahnne's soul, this is entirely my own anger towards you and your masters."

"I warned you Zidane that if you kept defying me your friends will pay the price. You have to learn that you are not in control, that your masters will tell you how to act from now on!"

"They are your masters not mine! If you continue this attack on my friends I will wipe them out and refuse to come with you at all! You know more than ever just what I can do and I won't hesitate to use it."

"Zidane, Zidane. You forget that you are running purely on adrenaline right now. Your strength is half gone and the true potion has long run out. I predict you have one more trick in you before your strength completely deserts you. Can you really kill us all?"

"You tell me, it's you who wants me so bad. I think by the way you talk about the power I possess that I could destroy this planet easier than Kuja did Terra, and maybe even faster so you would not have time to get off before I did." The slight uncertainty in Garland's eyes spoke for itself. Dagger felt a spark of hope. _Maybe he won't have to leave at all. _But this thought was quickly smashed as a smirk crossed Garland's face. 

"Yes you could but your friends would also die so you wouldn't do that. You could kill the Terran's vessels but I would just make more. You cannot kill me my little destruction, Kuja has already done that for you. Your brother has taken that right away from you, if you kill them I can just take you away and build more."

"My brother didn't kill you, your own creation did. My brother was kind and he cared more about family then about your stupid mission before you changed him."

"Yes, Kuja was a bit like what you are now, but you are also about to become what he was before he died."

"Not willingly I won't." He said smiling as he began to grow ever brighter. The blue light began to glow green and Dagger could only watch as the light grew quickly engulfing them all.

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Zidane felt the power inside him and concentrated on destroying the Terran's with every last ounce of strength he had. The light began to turn green as the ultima spell grew causing instant death to the Terrans when it touched them. Zidane concentrated impossibly harder to make sure the spell didn't effect his friends or any of the other people in the castle. All they would be able to feel would be a sudden warmth as the spell past harmlessly over them. 

The power and strength Zidane had used was every last drop he had, after the burst of ultima had escaped him he helplessly collapsed barely able to stay conscious. He could no longer help his friends now, whatever happened next was out of his hands. 

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Dagger stood after automatically curling up when the ultima spell had washed over her. The warmth of it had been pleasant, the power it held had made her terrified yet fascinated all at once. She stood in time to watch Zidane collapse to the floor. She began walking towards him vaguely aware of the lifeless bodies of the genomes/Terrans around her. 

For a moment as she walked she wondered about the Terran souls and where they would be able to be found again so quickly. She wondered about the genomes before the Terrans had invaded them and how they had no souls yet were able to walk around and live. How were they able to live when there was nothing within them? She quickly put these questions aside as she began to run the rest of the way to Zidane's side. It was when she was a few metres from him when she heard a slight zapping sound and felt the pressure of cold steel against her throat.

_No!_ She thought silently feeling tears well up in her eyes. _Why does this have to happen now._

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Through his blurry vision and weak sense of hearing Zidane was able to feel a wave of dread knowing instantly that something was not right.

"Yes Zidane, you can feel something is wrong can't you? Even in your state you sense when your little royalty is in danger, in a way its sort of sweet don't you think?" Zidane wearily lifted his aching head and focused all his remaining energy fighting off the darkness in order to see Garland with a knife in his hand against his beloveds throat. "What do you plan to do now destruction?"

"…leave her…out of this." He whispered slowly through his dry and aching throat.

"You are the one who got her involved, if you had done as I has asked to begin with then none pf this would have had to happen. Now this involves everyone."

"I'll…go with you…if you leave her." At this Garland let out a cold chuckle causing the knife to shake dangerously.

"You don't have much of a choice on that anymore, even if I were to slit her throat you would have no choice but to come with me."

"That's not…true." Zidane managed a little smile when he noticed Garland looking uncertain. "To teleport me…I need to go willingly…" The pause that followed from Garland confirmed Zidane's suspicion and he used the moment to gaze at Dagger with a new spark of hope visible in his eyes. She began to shake her head helplessly not caring about the knife at her throat.

"…Fair enough Zidane." He said roughly removing the knife away from Dagger's throat and pushing her towards Zidane. "Make it short."

Dagger knelt by Zidane ignoring everything around her and only gazing at his tired eyes. Zidane smiled weakly gently stroking her cheek in order to wipe away the tears falling down it.

"Dagger…remember, you have…to be strong now." She could only nod as a sob escaped her hugging Zidane desperately in an attempt to stop him leaving her. Zidane smiled at her sorrow knowing of her desperation but knowing deep down she would be able to do all she could. That was all she would need to save Gaia…and maybe even himself.

"Alone for a while I've been searching through the dark…" Dagger began gazing at Zidane a smile slowly brightening her features. Zidane smiled just as brightly giving her a quick kiss and muttering how much he loved her before nodding slightly at Garland. 

As Dagger continued to sing while gazing at Zidane she was vaguely aware of the genome bodies disappearing around them. She quickly began to reach out towards Zidane only to feel air where he had been moments ago. Not bothering to fight her tears she could only sit there staring at where Zidane had been and do what he had said for her to. She sang their song

I now its not the best and not a lot but its all I can do at the moment. I will probably re-do these chapters later on. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up but I promise Kuja in it! Yay for Kuja coming to help them all! Dagger may be a bit depressed too but then again she was all the way through the game so nothing new there. Oh yeah and flashbacks about Zidane and Freya will be in soon. Thanks all who review it encourages me to leave awful art projects for a few hours and think about this fic. I will never fosake it, I will complete it but it may take some time!


	14. moogles and eidolons

Hi! Please don't hurt me *cowers*. I can't blame it entirely on homework this time but it was quite a bit of it! Honest! …okay you want the truth, I got one of the coolest games (besides ff of course) for my birthday. Those who have read chapter nine will know what it is! Shadow Hearts! I swear that game is brilliant except I almost finished it in a week but missed out loads of important stuff so I have to start again. I have made it so I only spend an hour a night on it now so I have time for other things. Also I am writing another story as well as this, an original writing one called 'shifting dragon'. It's not on the internet or anything it's what I'm writing after my ghost one, I've been writing it on and off for a year and one of my friends read what I've done so far so they want me to finish it.

I'm sorry about me mucking up the language I will check that and out it right, just be patient with me please ^_^ and thanks for telling me any other mistakes peole see in this do tell me so I can change it. Like I only just realised I keep writing lifa instead of iifa, sorry about that. I told change the name to what I like you see so I say lifa when it isn't and I have started writing it that way. I'll change that too. 

I'm considering writing a pirates of the Caribbean fanfic but the way things are now I don't think it will be for a while and even if I do this fic is top priority. If you want to know more about the other one (I wish) tell me and I'll either put it on fiction press or e-mail you it. Okay enough of me.

The shimmering island had long been nothing but a small amount of ice left since the destruction of Gaia. There was no way any hidden room could be built into it and absolutely no portal in which to lead to Terra. Zidane had never expected Garland would pop them there but it had been a higher option to his knowledge then where they did end up appearing.

"Why are we here?" Zidane asked wearily gazing at his surroundings through his darkening vision. "The destructive soul can't be here."

"No it isn't. It waits in Terra where you will be joined with it soon enough. But just like before no time flows in Terra, so they is little point in taking you while still in such a weak state. We will stay here until you are fully healed and then begin our journey."

"They will find me before that, they will need to come here eventually."

"Yes they will, but then again we will be gone in a few days and I have taken away a slight advantage that they once had…" Zidane didn't hear anymore of his words as darkness finally overtook him and his exhausted body fell into a deep sleep.

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Dagger had stood unmoving for what seemed like hours only able to softly sing their song over and over. The others didn't dare interrupt her only finding themselves able to watch as once again the young queen's heart began to break. Steiner and Beatrix had gone to check on the townspeople to find that none were harmed in any way merely eager to begin rebuilding the town straight away.

Cid and Doctor Tot had emerged amongst the others to see the ruins of the building as some of the fires were still intact and continuing to demolish what remained. Vivi and the other black mages were tiring themselves with casting water on the angry flames saving what little remained of the once proud kingdom of Alexandria. 

"Where are the attackers?" Cid asked Steiner waving his arms around dangerously. "Where is Zidane?" No one dared answer him but merely turned their gaze towards Dagger who still stood in the same spot she had last seen Zidane, still singing softly.

"In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me? Was it fate, that brought us close and now leaves me behind…" Suddenly the song ended causing all those near enough to hear it have their gaze fall on the young woman. 

"Your highness?" Beatrix finally questioned, Dagger slowly turned to face them wiping away the last traces of tears visible and confidently walked towards her friends.

"Beatrix, are all the townspeople unharmed?" 

"Yes your majesty. They are already insisting on being the reparations of the town."

"Uncle Cid, may I ask you a favour?"

"Of course Garnet, what is it?" 

"Please could you look after my kingdom? There is something I need to do before I can help my people."

"I will do my best to help. Hilda will be able to return and rule over Limblum while I am here."

"Thank you." Dagger hugged him briefly before turning to her friends. "I must head for Oeilvert, please, will you assist me on my mission?" They all nodded smiling silently at her bravery. "Steiner, could you please prepare the invincible?"

"Your highness." Beatrix began, "Will I be accompanying you or helping the regent?" 

"I would like you to look after Alexandria, I need you here in case another attack happens." Beatrix merely nodded, bowing slightly before running off to begin her new duties.

"Thank you, I know you don't have to come, but I can't abandon Zidane now."

"Neither can we." Eiko said giving Dagger a hug. "We won't abandon either of you."

The sound of rusty armour scraping together interrupted the moment as Steiner tried to desperately report something while having no breath.

"Your…highness…the invincible is…gone!"

"What!" Dagger burst out running to where the ship had last been. There was nothing. Not only was the invincible gone but every other single ship. "…How?"

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Garland smirked quietly to himself as he watched the ships landing nearby. He had ordered some of the Terrans to withdraw from the battle before Zidane had unleashed his attack and steal the ships. Now they were in his possession ensuring his hiding place would not be found while he still inhabited it.

The first ship landed and its pilot made his way towards Garland, its face was expressionless speaking in ancient Terran as always. 

"The plan was good Garland, I'm impressed."

"Thank you master." Garland said bowing as the other Terrans joined the first. "I hope this plan will make up for my previous mistakes."

"It better have, otherwise destruction's soul won't be the only one being destroyed." Garland ignored the wash of fear he felt and bowed lower in order to hide his discomfort.

"I will not fail you, master." The Terran's eyes smiled for a moment, a rare display of emotion indeed.

"Now, it is a matter of making sure the traitor cannot help the young queen…"

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"None?" Dagger asked Steiner wearily already knowing the answer.

"None my queen. All the ships are gone, I searched everywhere in Alexandria."

"How are we gonna get to Oeilvert now?" Eiko demanded jumping up and down in order to release her frustration.

"We could head for Limblum and borrow one of their ships." Freya suggested calmly. 

"No." Dagger sighed resting her head in her hands. "If we did then Garland would know and just steal those ships too, if he hasn't already."

"Well how are we gonna get to Oeilvert?" Eiko Shrieked loosing all protocall she had gained in her personality the past year. Vivi hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her but not really knowing how.

Dagger sighed heavily drowning out the suggestions around her. _Please,_ she called out silently to no one in particular. _I need your help, I can't do this alone. I'm just not strong enough._ The sudden answer she received caused her to jump slightly making the others suddenly alert through their states of desperation and watch her curiously.

"_All you need to do is ask for our wings and we will lend them to you. Your strength will come from us as well as yourself, young summoner._" Dagger recognised the voice instantly, but instead of feeling anger and hatred like she had when she heard it a year ago the voice calmed her.

Thank you. She told him silently.

"Dagger, who are you talking to?" Eiko asked, being a summoner as well she could sense the presence but was unable to join in on the conversation.

"We don't need to have a ship to fly." Dagger said ignoring Eiko's question. "We have another way to fly."

"How?" Freya asked carefully now half believing Dagger was being reduced to talking jibberish because of her lost. Dagger just smiled while gripping her rod and calling out to bahamut to come before her. But instead of requesting him to attack she merely asked for his presence beside her. The others cowered slightly as bahamut landed gracefully beside her.

"We're going to ride him?" Steiner spat out, his face began turning a deep purple colour revealing his opinion on the particular suggestion.

"It's perfect!" Eiko swooned already beginning to climb up on a back leg. "It will be less tiring then if we had to use float all the way there."

"…Are you sure about this dagger?" Freya asked looking to be the calmest of the group.

"It's the only way we can reach him in time." Freya merely nodded at her words and jumped up on bahamut in one spring even though he had kneeled down to make it easier. Fratley soon followed her.

"…Whatever." Amarant said climbing up followed by Quina who was very enthusiastic to try and taste a horn. Steiner calmed from his purple rage to a deep red colour before following suit. Dagger smiled happily at her wonderful friends and climbed on last telling bahamut to head to Oeilvert.

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Zidane woke for a moment a day later fighting off the exhaustion long enough to look around him. He was in the eating room of Eiko's old house lying awkwardly on the floor. The moogles were crowding round him trying to tell him something but Zidane couldn't understand their kupo's as words. He tried desperately to do anything other than concentrate on keeping his eyes open.

"Talk Gaia to him, kupo!" One yelled at the others. It took them a few more minutes of shouting and hitting in order to calm each other down before they were able to in Gaian enough so Zidane was able to understand. 

"The old guy and some people with tails are doing something to the eidolon wall! Kupo!" Zidane recognised him as the one who guarded the eidolon wall yet couldn't recall his name through his pain and weariness.

"We have to help him first, kupo!" Another one yelled holding out a potion. "Drink this, kupo!" The hysteric moogle shoved the potion against Zidane's mouth leaving him with the options either to drink or choke on it.

It wasn't until another seven potions later that Zidane's head began to clear and he was able to understand the problem. 

"They're probably trying to get rid of the eidolon spirits so they can't be summoned by Dagger or Eiko."

"Eiko! How is lady Eiko?"

"She's fine."

"No time now!" One of the biggest moogles interrupted. "Must save the eidolon wall!"

"How are we going to get there?" Zidane asked wearily. "I can barely stay awake let alone walk."

"I know, kupo! We can help you!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are we there yet?" Eiko asked for the thousandth time. Hardly any of the group had been able to sleep during the night because of the cold wind. Bahamut may have been a useful transport but he was far from being the cosiest. "I need to go to the bathroom."

"I hate kids." Amarant muttered.

"It's not far now, Eiko." Dagger answered calmly. "we're flying over the forgotten continent now."

"Good, cause I really need to go!"

"Nice to see you're back to your old self after all the royal lessons." Freya said, her sarcasm didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"I no like heights." Quina mumbled once again trying to bite through one of bahamuts's horns. "No munchies, I want munchies!"

"This is ridiculous!" Steiner erupted. "I can't believe we are riding a giant lizard to another continent." Bahamut growled at the insult but was strictly reminded by Dagger he was not allowed to push anyone off until they got to Oeilvert. As tempting as it was. 

"How are you doing Vivi?" Dagger asked. Vivi's sickness and fear of heights had led the young black mage to lie face down in between bahamut's shoulder blades. 

"My head hurts." He told her, his voice was muffled as he spoke into bahamut's scales.

"Fear not master Vivi! Oeilvert is in sight!" Everyone looked in the direction Steiner was eagerly pointing to and saw the camouflaged Oeilvert coming into view.

"Thank god for that!" Dagger sighed knowing she wouldn't have lasted much longer in this situation.

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"You're heavy ! Kupo!"

"I think I strained a wind, kupo!"

"You kupo need to eat less!"

"Hey, this was your guy's idea!" Zidane protested. "Anyway it's not exactly the most pleasant flight I've had either!"

"Stop moving! You're making me slip kupo!"

"…Are we there yet?"

"SHUT UP KUPO! I'LL TELL YOU WHEN WE GET THERE! KUPO!"

"Geez, sorry."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How should we set out our party?" Steiner asked still wobbling slightly from the recent flight and the insistent shove to be removed from bahamuts back.

"All those who don't don't depend on magic should be in the main party, the rest can follow behind."

"Where are we heading to inside your highness?"

Zidane told me there is a room where the walls talk to you, we should head there."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zidane sat uneasily on the top of the eidolon wall peering down at the scene playing out below him. 

"What are they doing, kupo?"

"Shush, I can't hear them when you talk!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure this will work Garland?" The leader of the Terrans asked, he had christened himself justice in the Gaian tongue for a hidden reason he shared lone concerning his mother's death, or something that could only be described as such.

"Positive master. There is no way anything could prevent this after the airships were taken from them."

"Good, things are finally going right. Where is the genome?"

"He is in the house with the moogles, he's still resting from the battle."

"At least he will not prove to be a problem, he is stronger than I expected him to be. You did a marvellous job creating him."

"Thank you, master."

"How long until he wakes?" He asked studying the wall thoroughly.

"Not likely for a few more days, by then he should have fully recovered and be back to his full strength."

"Fine, we will head to Terra at that point and immediately begin the procedure." He gently reached out his hand and led it over the name 'Sarah' carved there. "Let's begin this before the traitor can be summoned.

"Yes, master."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What are they doing?" Zidane asked only receiving puzzled looks as an answer.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The party hesitantly stepped onto the platform but they found nothing happened.

"It's not working." Steiner said causing the others to roll their eyes at him

"Maybe after the destruction of Terra it ceases to work." Freya said.

"Or maybe someone is stopping it from working." The suggestion left the others baffled but Dagger knew she was right. "Someone doesn't want us to summon him."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Looks like some kind of ritual, kupo."

"Yeah, but what are they trying to do."

"Maybe they are trying to destroy the eidolons, kupo." At those words a shiver ran through Zidane as he realised what the moogle said was true.

"They're trying to kill Gaia's protectors, they're trying to kill my brother."

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"O great and holy protector of Terra, please aid in the destruction of the eidolons!" Justice screamed out his hands extended towards the heavens. "Give us the blessing for revenge against the traitors!" With these words justice began to glow a pitiless black directing his new found power towards the eidolon wall. The impact it caused began to make the wall shake and a large crack began to make it's way along it…

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"MOVE KUPO!!" The moogles hurriedly grabbed hold of Zidane and lifted him up away from the collapsing wall.

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The platform suddenly began to shake beneath their feet and they were only able to jump off in time before it fell into the oblivion below.

"What's happening." Vivi yelled fear obviously present in his voice.

"Someone is hurting the eidolons!" Eiko screamed. "I can feel their pain!" 

"What should we do Eiko?" Dagger asked helplessly.

"I-I don't know! I don't know!" They all collapsed to the floor and protected their heads against the falling rocks.

"We should leave!" Steiner called over the thunderous rocks.

"We can't leave now!" Dagger yelled helplessly concentrating all her energy on finding him, making him hear her enough to bring him there.

_Please, we need you! If you want to help your brother please help us!_

At her silent plea the crystal pendant around her neck began to glow, floating up slightly as she stood up. The crystal moved higher above her until it shone level with the highest heads. It's brilliant glowing white light slowly began to turn a magnificent red…

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"What's going on?" Zidane heard the leader of the Terran's yell. It was only at the hint of anger present in his voice that made Zidane open his eyes and start at the events unfolding beneath him.

"The wall, kupo."

"It's mending itself, kupo."

"No." Zidane stated a smile of relief appearing on his face. "It's…"

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The red light began to die down as the figure began to lower to their level. At it's appearance the shaking had ceased and the building felt more alive than it ever had. Dagger watched silently only able to utter one word as the person's feet rested on the floor near by.

"Kuja…" 

So next chapter will be all about kuja ^_^ and you will learn something about the eidolons and other stuff. Now question time for you lot ^_^ 

Would you like kuja to wear his original clothes or have something different? Do you want him to have the same personality or make it a tad different to show the evil was actually the soul in him? If you don't tell me then I'll do whatever and you won't be allowed to complain cause you have the chance now to shape the characterisation of kuja ^_^

Also anyone who knows the moogles names could you please tell me so I can name them. I would have checked earlier but I wanted to put the chapter up and I didn't need the names yet while Zidane is in a foggy state anyway. See you soon! (hopefully) 


	15. Kuja

Yay! Another chapter, not as long as was expected but that's because I was going to write the next chapter with this is well but it would mean longer for an update and plus it really needs a gap between the two parts. So how Kuja survived is revealed as well as some of the mystery of Zidane at the Iifa tree (see I got it right now ^_^) thanks to dark anima and Anonymous for the moogle names! Big help cause my cousin has stolen the game so I couldn't check. If I got their roles wrong could you please tell me and I will change it! Thanks! And also thanks to Dark Anima, Anonymous, NeoDarkMessenger, SunDiamond for helping with Kuja. I tried my best but if you hate it then tell me, his personality isn't shown in great detail but I'm planning to use the same one he had as a kid. 

Justice sat silently in the newly built house merely staring at the new hands he now had. They were ones of a child, ones of a young woman. Why had he been the one to end up in the girl? Garland had informed him she too had been blessed with the powers of an angel of death yet he could not feel it within her. Maybe it had been hidden within the part of the soul they had removed from her to allow his own to enter, or maybe it had never been present in the first place. 

It was a strange sensation sharing her body with what little remained of her soul, he could sometimes feel things coming from her she had always tried to hide. Her life spent in Bran Bal living only as a vessel for them to fill, she had been given a soul and could feel things the others would never have been able to imagine. She had been all alone with these emotions within her world believing this difference she felt was wrong and something that must be kept a secret. She had mimicked the others to the best of her abilities while secretly dwelling over the thought of her brothers living a life somewhere on Gaia.

She had often snuck away from the others as they continued their never ending gazing at the blue light to visit the room her brothers had once spent their time in. It was filled with books and information of the other planet Terra was someday suppose to consume one day. Books which seemed to have once been well read and looked over by two certain genomes who would even care to learn to read. Why would they when nothing mattered to them except the fact that one day some other soul would take control over them?

Mikoto would sometimes sit quietly reading as many books as she dared before returning to her mask personality with the others or she would merely sit and hold the books close to her. Mikoto had sent years with Garland learning to read when he wasn't preoccupied with searching for Kuja and Zidane. It had been something she need help with, something that hadn't just come natural to her. This was different.

As she would sit there silently clutching the books her brothers once held in their arms a feeling of longing would was h over her. A feeling for emotions, for a real family. One that would respond to these feelings welling up in her, people who would realise what she felt and comfort her into believing these emotions she experienced weren't wrong in any way. She wanted someone to tell her they were normal and that all the other genomes were the ones that weren't. But as time mentally went by she lost hope in this and spent less time in the room and more in a lab watching as more vessels were created. 

_This is what it's meant to do like_ she had told herself over and over beginning to believe more every time she did. _this is all we are created for, even if it is for the wrong reason. _The wrong reason. Kuja's reason. He was made as a test, maybe they all had been, but at least they were alive. Alive with no emotions or feelings.

Eventually Mikoto had taught herself to press down any emotion she may feel from time to time and concentrate on her creation as the others did. Her brothers had left her here a long time ago, before they knew they had a sister. She had to see to it that she would not also abandon her mission as the rest of her line of angels had. She alone would have to help Garland with his mission.

Justice was unable to learn of what happened next but he knew from Garland's reports that Mikoto had taken no such part in helping this mission come into place. What had happened to the young determined genome? What had changed in Bran Bal that stopped her from helping the fate of Terra? Why did he dwell on such thoughts for this merely vessel?

"Sir?" A Terran in a older genome body asked uncertainly not wishing to disturb the young leader. "We are ready to start."

"Good. I will be there as soon as possible." The Terran turned to leave and Justice let out a last long sigh before pushing the thought of Mikoto from his mind and following. As Mikoto had pointed out herself, emotions were not meant to rise during this mission.

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"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE?!!" Steiner yelled before anyone had yet found their tongue swinging his sword wildly at Kuja's head. The sword didn't even ruffle his feather hair before a barrier formed around him to prevent the damage, he hadn't even blinked at the amount of power he used. Steiner on the other hand seemed unable to stand up once more and lay wheezing on the floor. 

"Zidane had warned me about your temper, he said you're even rustier at controlling it then your armour is." His voice held it's usual half serious tone yet all its usual mocking part had disappeared replaced instead with mere curiosity. 

"Is it really you?" Dagger asked unable to hold back the question any longer. "Are you really Kuja, Zidane's brother?"

He looked different from what he had a year ago, his presence made him feel as if he were an entirely different person. His usually silvery feather hair was now mixed with a slight red glint to it, Dagger guessed it was an after effect from him going into trance. Let even now she questioned that remembering Zidane had said Kuja had looked exactly like his old self when he had gone to rescue him at the Iifa tree, his hair had been it's normal silvery colour. 

His hair however was only one new difference she felt like questioning about this new Kuja. His clothes were similar to what they used to be except now he wore silver trousers and a long sliver coat leaving his chest exposed. A slight unmistakable glow surrounded him as if to emphasis the new power he now seemed to possess. His face still bore his usual make up but his features looked the opposite from its usual cold expression. In a way he looked almost like a child who had been longing to come out from his hiding place sadness had now enveloped in his usual playful features.

His eyes were the biggest change that Dagger found the most disturbing. Before they had been blank except for the occasional glint of cold humour or small satisfaction at achieving something. Now they were so filled up with emotion it seemed they were going to explode at any given moment. At the moment they were filled with a overwhelming sorrow that it made her very heart ache just to gaze into them, sorrow of their disgust, at his own disgust towards himself. Dagger could catch a small glimpse of a long forgotten childhood beneath the sorrow, one he never was able to have and now would never witness.

Kuja studied the group in front of him with a twinkle of innocence in his eyes as they gazed unbelieving at him. He smiled slightly almost wanting to laugh until he remembered the reason he was here in the first place.

"I know this will be uncomfortable for you, but I am doing this for Zidane and hope we will be able to call a truce until we succeed in rescuing him."

"A TRUCE? YOU KILLED HER HIGHNESS! YOU ALMOST DESTROYED EVERYTHING! A TRUCE CANNOT BE MADE WITH A MONSTER LIKE YOU!"Steiner's words continued to echo around the giant room and each time the word monster was repeated Dagger could see Kuja flinch. 

"I…I am not that person anymore. Part of that was the destructive soul, the same which will be placed in Zidane if we do not hurry."

"Kuja, we have to learn the whole truth first before we can save him." Dagger said gently. "We need to know everything." There was a small uneasy silence which followed at her words as Kuja turned his back to them, considering her words carefully. He had known this would happen but it hadn't prepared him any easier for what he must now do.

"Very well young summoner, you deserve that much after all the trouble and pain I caused you. I will tell you my story."

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The near miss for the eidolon wall had exhausted Zidane even more yet he tried desperately to stay awake in order to hear what was happening. He would doze for a few hours to build up a little strength and then have one of the many moogles wake him up who, now he was able to think more clearly, was able to remember by name.

"So what's the plan kupo?" Moco asked handing Zidane a fish he had caught. Zidane took it gratefully and ate greedily while saving some for the moogles. 

"I don't know, I have to find out what's going on first."

"I thought you knew kupo."

"I know that Kuja is with Dagger and the others but I don't know what the Terrans will do next now their plan has failed."

"We must find out kupo! They may find lady Eiko!" 

"Well I need to rest more before I can do any spying, but maybe you guys could do it."

"What do we do kupo?" 

"I want you to watch the Terrans, especially Garland and the leader in the girl genome. Maybe we can find a way to reclaim her original soul."

"I thought the genomes didn't have souls, kupo." Morrison said.

"She's different, she's like Kuja and me, I need to help her."

"Okay kupo. We'll keep an eye on them, you rest and get well kupo." With that all the moogles left except Momatose who decided to stay and watch over the sleeping genome.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"…and since then the destructive soul has been the cause for all my decisions. It didn't wish to follow Garland but it still wished to show the world it could lead it. If it is put in Zidane's body however it will be easier for Garland to control, he wasn't as disobedient as me. "

"…But Garland said the soul was only temporary, the soul would have died by now, its why it tried to destroy the crystal in the first place." Freya argued weakly.

"No, the destructive soul wasn't the temporary one, that was my soul. The destructive soul knew that without my soul it could no longer control someone unless it found another soul designed to let it merge with. At that time it didn't realise Zidane or Mikoto could have been used and that Zidane would have been ten times stronger than I ever was. We were lucky then."

"Lucky! Our whole existence was nearly destroyed!" Steiner exploded, "How could that have been lucky?"

"That was lucky because at least then you would no longer exist to see the chaos he will now create."

"Come on it can't be that bad." Fratley scoffed. "I know Zidane, this power you speak of I've only seen once and even then it completely drained him by using one spell."

"That is because he has yet to unleash his power, that was merely a child's trick compared to what he will soon be able to do. We have to stop that before it happens."

"Yes," Dagger cut in. "But first you must explain the rest of the situation, like how your soul is till intact and how you became an eidolon."

"Very well, it was all Zidane's doing. You do remember when the Iifa tree was going berserk and I was left inside and he came back for me?" At their nods he continued. "Well when he came into the tree he was falling right past me and I used the last of my strength to prevent him from getting squished from the impact. By then the destructive soul had left my body and returned to the new cycle which had already started as the tree was dying. We talked a little and I was even considering telling him the truth of what had provoked me, but I didn't want to ruin his life by worrying him of what may happen. When the vines of the Iifa tree came crashing down on us it was when my heart stopped, but Zidane had done something before I died completely which saved my soul…"

***

Zidane glanced from Kuja to the approaching vines not knowing what to do, all he'd wanted to do was grab his brother and leave, now the whole tree was attacking him! Unable to think of anything better to do Zidane used his own body to shield Kuja trying to disconnect is mind from the pain of the impact by thinking of a plan to save his brother.

_He needs my blood in order to save his soul _the thought had come to him with no explanation or reason but Zidane knew without having to ponder over its origin it was the right thing to do. He searched for a cut and wasn't surprised to find many to choose from. Ignoring the feeling of a heavy pressure coming at him on all sides he limply extended his arm with the deep cut on towards a cut on Kuja's cheek. Zidane fought off the darkness threatening to over take him and made sure the blood was entering the cut properly.

To the surprise of Zidane's half shut down mind the wound on Kuja's cheek had begun to heal and he automatically moved his arm to another open wound. Despite the number of cuts on Kuja's cold body it didn't take Zidane long to have healed them shut with his blood. As the last one closed he could have sworn he saw Kuja's soul disperse from his body as it faded away to nothing.

The next thing Zidane was aware of was the feeling of being teleported away before he finally gave in to the overwhelming darkness.

***

"…because Zidane shared his blood when he needed it as his life source the most a little of his soul was actually flowing inside his bloodstream. Somehow he knew to heal me using his blood which then joined my own and that little part of his soul was able to prevent mine from disappearing completely.

"That is why I am here now, as long as Zidane's soul remains in existence so will mine because my soul is now part of his."

"…So if Garland was to wipe out Zidane's soul completely then yours would go too?" Freya asked.

"Yes. But I will be unaffected when Zidane's soul is joined with the destructive soul for the part of his soul that lives in me is separate from the one that is to be infected."

"So that means if you die then Zidane will still live?" Steiner asked coldly. Kuja merely smiled at the tone present in his voice. 

"I am already dead, but if my soul was to disappear then Zidane's would remain intact. Although he would loose the part inside me it will not effect him greatly."

"If you're already dead then how come we're talking to you?" Eiko asked.

"Have you ever wondered, young summoner, what kind of existence it is your eidolons live under? Have you ever thought of then as alive or something beyond that idea. The story of the summoners is a long and unhappy one but it will explain much to you of why they protect your planet so. It will also explain how it is those from Madain Sari that are only given the opportunity to use such power…"

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Moco watched the Terran within the girl's body closely as he intently studied over maps and sketches of plans to perform next. At first Moco had been told to watch the other Terrans but when he had almost been caught trying to steal a kupo nut they had in their possession he had been assigned to the least eventful of the lot.

Most of the time all this Terran did was look over his plans and invent new tragedies to consider now that the eidolon wall would not crumple. They had tried everything to make the wall fall but it was as if there were a hidden barrier surrounding it stopping all spells or attacks from actually making their final blow. Chimomo had been so proud of the wall he had insisted on keeping an eye on it so he could silently laugh at their continuously failed attempts.

Moco yawned quietly as the Terran finally laid down his plans and sighed heavily. The action immediately woke the moogle from any drowsiness. He had sighed, none of the Terrans had shown any flicker of emotion let alone expressed such an action.

Moco leaned forward closer from his position on a far up shelf near the ceiling. Although he was hidden from clear view he was still able to watch over the Terran closely from his position.

This newly revealed form of emotion had to be some king of breakthrough, the very leader of the Terrans had shown some sort of emotin they may be able to work to their advantage. The thought of doing such a trick was cold but Moco was merely having to remind himself the danger these Terrans were causing for lady Eiko and all of Gaia to realise such tricks were necessary.

The Terran had now stood and was cautiously checking the entrances and doorways in the room before he leaned down onto the floor and roughly lifted a loose floorboard up. Moco watched intrigued almost falling off from leaning in closer as the Terran pulled out a book. He caressed it affectionately close to him and Moco knew that this was no mere plan.

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Zidane had been enjoying a soft doze when he heard the exciting shouts of a moogle all too close to be of comfort.

"Kupo! Look what I found kupo!" Groaning slightly Zidane forced his eyes open and stared blankly at the book Moco was shoving under his nose. "It belongs to the leader of the Terrans kupo. I took it when he went to strategise some new plans with Garland."

"Shouldn't you be watching the meeting then?"

"Momatose is doing that kupo. Read it kupo, I think it's a diary!" 

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"Let me explain the existence of the eidolons through someone else's eyes. This is the story of a young Terran once named Reason but because of certain experiences he was put through he has now renamed himself Justice. Listen to his story and you will understand the history of the eidolons and the reason why this is all happening…"

I know it sounded like final fantasy ten a bit with that story thing but what can a say? I have no ideas of my own ^_^ there will be another thing I kind of stole from ff10 so I'm warning you now, please don't sue! Next chapter could be long…ish, I'm not sure. I'll try and write it soon but I didn't get as much done in the holidays for this as I wanted cause I had loads of school to do still (honestly, they say its half term but you are stll spending the whole time doing work anyway…) I'll try my best! Reviews are good ego boosters ^_^ lookie I got 83!


	16. Reason for Justice

I was going to do this all together but have decided to split it up to three sections, there isn't much of dagger and zidane or any of the original characters in the next two chapters after this but bare with me they will be back in soon! I just need to get this bit here so to explain some stuff. Hope you like. Oh and to Mip the demon fox thanks for telling me I admit I did rush writing a lot of the action but if you could tell me which parts are the worse I'll re-write them first, thanks for saying with the comments this story might actually turn out half decent.

My name is Justice, Reason no longer exists. He was weak, dependant, one who relied too heavily on others to accomplish what was to be done. That is no more now, I am his rebirth, I am Justice who will take the very problem he feared to witness and I will control the outcome for every Terran life that remains. I write this as a symbol of my rebirth in hope that one day many others with signs of the same determination in them will read its contents and decide the course of their lives because of my experience and wisdom.

I began my life as any other emotionally filled Terran who believe everything is based on feelings and nothing matters more than the happiness of themselves and their so called loved ones. Those people are weak and very wrong. Even being born into such a family I can now see this as you will soon after reading this book. 

It was not that long ago when Terra began to change to what it now is, what I have now made it with my commands and decisions. You may think these changes are for the worse, well please my fellow Terran take a moment to consider the alternative future, what kind of better life would that have led to? We would have no planet at all if not for the changes I and my faithful companions have made. 

Let us begin during those emotionally filled days before the miracle of science had been introduced to me. Even though those days were filled with false hope and pointless emotions like love it also reveals many things that drove me to where I am today. It all began with her, the one who brought me into this line of existence, the only person's betrayal that could have wounded me so much that I would be driven to my new identity. My mother betrayed all our people, and it is because of this betrayal I have sworn to be what she feared I'd become. I have become the man who I one day take her life…

***

"Reason sweetie come here a moment honey!" His mother called with the hint of laughter in her voice. Reason who had been playing in the clear water while memorising his mathematical calculations to build a teleport quickly reached the water's edge and ran to his house merely metres away.

"Yes mummy? Is everything okay?" The young six year old's gaze immediately fell on his mother's bulging stomach smiling slightly at the thought of the younger sister contained within it waiting impatiently to come out.

"Nothing's wrong sweetie, I just though you'd want to feel her kick." Reason let his hand by guided to the spot a small foot was pressing against the skin, his mother left out a small sigh as she watched the happy smile appear on her son's face.

"Do you think daddy will come back soon and feel her kick too?" He asked causing the smile on his mother's beautiful face to waver and die.

"Reason…" His mother began, "Your father will never be able to return home to us."

"Why? Doesn't he want to some home?"

"More than anything, but when someone dies they move on into the cycle of souls and are unable to ever return to the living world. It doesn't matter how much they want to come back, they just can't."

"But I thought if you try hard enough at something you can achieve anything!" Reason shouted tears sliding down his small cheek. "Why can't daddy try to come back?"

"Other people need him too now Reason. No matter how much he wishes he could be with us he has to look after these people. One day I will have to leave and help him too, but that will be a long time to come."

"You're going to die too?"

"No! not any time soon honey. I have to look after my two babies now don't I?"

"You promise? You won't ever leave me?"

"I can't promise that Reason, but I can promise I will be here for a very long time yet. And even though one day you will no longer have me with you I will always be watching over you and protecting you from evil."

"Evil like those scientists trying to take away emotions?"

"Yes, those and many others. You're my reason for life my little Reason, you and this baby is all that matters to me now."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"…mummy. I think it's a girl."

"Why do you say that honey?"

"Just a feeling, she's going to love the water. It will be her one constant source of meaning when everything else is so confusing."

"Really…her meaning…"

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"Gee I don't see what this guy's problem is." Zidane muttered, "His mother sounds perfect, I wish I had a mother like that…actually I just wish I had a mother."

"Keep reading kupo!"

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"Wait!" At the sound of Steiner's protest the image of the family flickered out. "What has this got to do with us?"

"Be patient Mr. Steiner, I am merely showing you how the changes that happened on Terra effected one boy so much."

"And why should we care about this boy?"

"Because he is your enemy, he is the leader of the Terrans. Plus his life will reveal the truth about the eidolons."

"It better."

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_Do not be fooled for a moment by the appearance of an emotionally filled family, it may look like an ideal world but it is merely filled with lies and deceit. Innocence is played on by those who can get away with such an act. The fact I actually believed my mother's words is why it became obvious to me that emotion is just a distraction. Some people will manipulate you through your emotions and others will be those manipulated. That is all emotions are used for, only fools actually believe they are there for a different reason._

You will soon see what I mean once you read on to discover the fate of both my mother and my little sister Meaning. Her innocence was her ultimate downfall which my mum played on as a torturer plays on your weakness to get answers. Meaning never stood a chance in this world thanks to that traitor who had dared called herself my mother.

***

"Reason! Come look at what I've made!" Meaning called out to her big brother making her way to the water's edge while waving a small device around in her little hand. 

"What do you have there?" Reason asked smiling at the sight of her.

"It's one of those creatures in that book you read to me, the ones who have pon pon things on their heads and deliver mail to each other all the time."

"A moogle? You made a moogle!"

"Well…we don't have any animals like them around here, only a few monsters. I wanted to have one so I could see what it will be like when we live on Gaia."

"We might not be living on it yet, the council haven't decided."

"I hope we do, I really wish I could meet new people and have more friends."

"You have me."

"I know, but all the other people say I'm weird. They say I'm too brainy and it isn't natural, they say it about you is well, why are we like this?"

"I don't know Meaning, we just are." 

"Well maybe when we live on Gaia the people there will like us because we're smart?"

"Yeah, I bet they will."

"Do you think we will go live on Gaia?"

"I hope so, I don't like the idea of staying on Terra by consuming Gaia, it doesn't seem right to kill all those people in order to survive." 

"Why would we have to kill them? Couldn't they live on Terra?"

"There's not enough room, don't worry Meaning I'm sure they'll choose to have us live on Gaia."

"I hope so Reason, I don't want to hurt anybody."

***

_By now you are probably thinking that such a Terran I am now could never have thought such things back then. Emotions change a lot of opinions, it mixes with your judgement and causes you to become bias and stubborn in seeing the truth. Meaning was one reason I couldn't see the truth back then, her and our mother. But what soon happened enabled me to see the truth all too clearly, even through the confusing emotions the tragedy enabled me to see the real villain that caused my sister's death._

***

"Reason honey, could you pick up your sister from school?" His mother asked, "I need to go to the council meeting and I can't be late."

Reason beamed as he nodded enjoying the fact his mother had been requested to join the council. No one at his college had any parent or family member in such a high position and it caused them to actually notice him as more than the freakish genius who had invented the teleport when he was seven years old. That had been ten years ago now, Reason had invented many useful tools that the council itself uses. He was now currently working on how to stop time itself from flowing.

Meaning now at the age of ten had shown even greater talent than her brother, although she kept her inventions and ideas in her heart and not on paper. Sometimes she would tell a few to her brother as they lay in their room at night or when they would swim in the river after school and college was over. Reason knew better than to try and convince his sister to share her ideas and inventions with the council.

"I don't trust them Reason." She would tell him fear visible in her voice. "Please don't make me choose between my people and what I feel in my heart." The statement puzzled Reason but he would never question her or push her further, his sister was too much like his mother to manipulate. They both seemed to share a secret between them that he could not see, one he was unable to be apart of until he proved himself.

"Do you want me to stop sharing them too?" He'd once asked knowing if she said yes he would do just that.

"No…your ideas may help them decide to live on Gaia after all, mine wouldn't do that so I keep them to myself."

Reason hadn't dared to ask what these ideas were, he knew if Meaning felt it better to keep them hidden then it was also better to believe her.

Reason waited patiently for his sister outside the school gates remembering when he had once gone there and the days he had felt so miserable and alone. That had been before Meaning had been old enough to go to school, the days when she was only able to comfort him as he came home and listen to his latest ideas or examine his latest creation. Now he was that little hope for Meaning after the long school day finished. 

As soon as Meaning began walking towards him Reason knew something wasn't right. Her head was down staring at her feet and she was glancing around nervously as if expecting someone to challenge her at any moment. Her moogle was flying around her as normal making her stand out more, usually this didn't bother her but now the curious looks she was receiving was making her nervous and afraid. 

"What's wrong Meaning?" He asked her as she quickly grabbed his hand and practically ran all the way home.

"Mum's at the meeting isn't she?" She asked him ignoring his questions and setting some device she had retrieved from their bedroom.

"Yeah, it should have started by now."

"They're deciding the fate of Gaia and Terra, we need to know what's being said."

"How? Mum isn't allowed to say."

"Remember I went to the office with mum a few days ago to pick up some files? Well I managed to set up a detector in the meeting room."

"A detector? You mean that project I did a few years ago?"

"Yeah, the one where you put a small device you named a detector in the place you want and it will allow you to project the events that are happening there using this." Reason remembered the project now, he had made it almost three years ago and Meaning had begged him to let her have it as a birthday gift.

"This is why you wanted it?"

"Yeah, I knew that they'd have a meeting eventually and I just really need to know what they decide." Her voice was shaky and Reason could only nod at her while thinking that such a great responsibility shouldn't be placed on a ten year old.

"Let's turn it on then." He muttered softly while expertly fiddling with the small device which then began to project the image of the meeting room with the members of the council grabbing the cups of coffee they had just made and sitting around the table.

"Well," began the leader of the council who had re-christened himself Order once being assigned as the leader of the council. "We all know why we are here today and we are to hear all the reasons for and against such an action like this. I trust you have all come up with some arguments you wish to include?"

"Sir." One Terran began always eager to give his opinion, which in fact was his name. "I strongly believe that to have our planet survive it is the worth the sacrifice of another. After all our planet was the first to be created with thousands of years separating the age of any other planet. This 'Gaia' is the newest with so much life energy left that it will restore our planet's for millions of years."

"Yes." A woman named Foresight began, "And on top of that the attack we must deliver first to bring about a war and kill the habitats will be easy considering how most of the living creatures live on only one of the continents."

"And what of monsters?"

"None sir, they have no substance which has allowed such being to evolve. On Terra it was when the cycle of souls had once leaked out and allowed some souls to linger here and eventually convert to monsters in order to once again die and return to the cycle. This planet has never had such a leak."

"Good." Order sighed. "That is something at least. Very well having considered all these positive reasons for this attack I have decided…"

"Sir!" Shouted out the children's mother quickly raising from her seat. "If I may express my opinion for us to withdraw this idea of destroying Gaia?"

Order sighed heavily before nodding slightly for her to continue. Reason watched in awe as his mother smiled at the approval before beginning her argument.

"I would like to first begin with a little history only those within this room now know of. I wish to remind us all of the last time we attempted a war on Gaia.

"It began ten years ago but was planned through and many preparations were made long before then. My husband had been appointed on this council when our first child was born after Foresight had informed you Reason would be one of the greatest designers ever known in the history of Terra and one day he would shape Terra's future. It was within those seven years you prepared for the attack and even years before that. Courage used to come home and inform me of your plans despite his promise not to, after all according to Foresight it would one day effect our child.

"Everyone knew about Gaia already by then, they had for a thousand years. But they had no idea you were planning to attack the planet, after all they were all so ignorant back then they hadn't even realised our planet was dying.

"Courage told me about the soldiers you carefully picked out and sent to different bases training them in secret for the war to come. Eventually after many years you were satisfied and sent the army through the newly designed teleport by my son. Courage had offered to go and fight with the army in order to secure the future of our family. He had decided on this when he learnt I was with child.

"You sent the army to Gaia on the western continent and never heard from them again, not one returned so you decided to wait ten years before trying again. The only thing we do know was before the army was sent Gaians had lived on that continent, but now only ruins remain. From this we know our army did some good yet didn't survive to wipe out the other continent and secure a way to consume the life force of the planet.

"That is all you know of the situation, now I wish to tell you the story of what really happened to the army and why if you tried again you will fail once more."

"And how would you know what happened?" Opinion burst out, "None returned through the teleport and there was no other way to communicate with them."

"The tale I didn't learn from the army itself." She told him silently smiling. "I learned of their fate through a dream I am sure my children and I received all at once. It was five years ago, the same day that Terra had finally learnt the fate of the planet. The next day I heard my son and daughter telling it to each other, they just never realised the story was of their father…"

Okay that's the first and shortest part. I'm not sure when I'll get the rest up cause in about three weeks I have my mocks so I'm all for revising right now, I've already completely banned myself from the playstation so I work more (and I'm near the end is well, pain). Oh if anyone knows the name of the moogle in Terra I'd be very grateful if you could tell me ^_^ thanks!


	17. the Terran army

*hides* I'm so sorry you guys! First it was mocks and then they dumped all the coursework on and the old case of writers block happened. But this chapter is almost finished! YAY! I have done the first part of it and as soon as I've written it all up I'll post it. In the mean time I have this as a teaser for you. Hope you are all still reading, don't blame you if you aren't. I'm going to try and update every two weeks. Promise!

It had been four weeks since Courage and the army had arrived on Gaia and already it was going well. They had succeeded in destroying many villages and small towns so no ruins were left standing. They had started from the North and slowly worked their way down the continent. 

The army was now celebrating over their latest victory on a rather big town hidden amongst the mountains. One which was known by those on the continent as Oeilvert. The future Oeilvert is very different from what the city had been like then. No technology or ancient seals were concealing it, it was a town built within one large building. 

Courage raised his cup of stolen wine and toasted with the others laughing and cheering at their victory.

"Soon this whole continent will be ours and we can return home!" One called Ambition said.

"We'll be hero's to our country!" Another boasted.

"Hey Courage, I bet you can't wait to get home and see your wife and kid. Won't your other one be coming soon too?" One thing Courage had come to realise about these men chosen for the army was their lack of family. No wives, children, parents, siblings, distant relations; they were completely unknown. They would not be missed if anything were to go wrong, this thought sent a chill through Courage knowing that he had helped plan this with the council. 

"It will be a while yet before she is born, I just hope we'll return home by then to see it."

"How can you be so sure it's a girl?"

"I'm not sure, but me and reason are just so sure it's a girl." 

"What'll you name her then?"

"My wife will name her or my son, it's a promise I made to them. If I were to go away they were to name her for me so I would come back to find out what they choose."

"Well don't worry, by the look of things it will only be a couple more weeks before you will see them again."

"Yeah I hope so."

"Hey, when I get back I'm going to go to a bar and pick up a lady of my own." One called Ambition shouted his speech slurred from his drinking.

"You won't need to!" Another called. "When we succeed everyone will be told and the women will be fighting amongst themselves for one of us."

"Yeah! We'll be heroes!" This statement was followed with another cheer and clinks of glasses as the soldiers drank more wine.

"Tomorrow we continue this and soon we can go home!"

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These high spirits and hopes continued for a little over a week before the first real reason for doubt crossed the hero's minds. On which is an army's worse nightmare. 

"Stalemate." Courage whispered gazing at their supposedly next target. "if we try to attack it will turn into a stalemate!" 

The target in question appeared to be a castle with a ditch surrounding it with any room for their guns and bombs to prove ineffective. 

"An all front attack would end in chaos! If we went down there they could kill us before we even reach the stairs!" 

"What is this place?" Courage pondered. "It appears to be a castle yet it is surrounded with villages."

"What action should we take? This isn't going to be easy."

"No." Came a voice from behind the army. "It really won't."

The Gaians looked as much human as the Terrans did. This man wore a green suit making him stand out from the rest of his backups who were all in red. Their weapons were out all being swords and all wearing the same smug look of victory on their faces. It was due to their sudden introduction that caused Courage to take a few minutes before he realised the Gaian had spoken Terran.

"Put your hands up and drop all weapons now!" The man commanded. Courage sighed giving the man a look of pure hatred before obeying with his men following his example. "Good, anyone moves and you will be killed instantly." He threatened nodding to his men who then began to secure the terran army in chains. "Hurry men. His highness will be most interested to learn of the capture of these cold blooded creatures." 

Ipsen's character coming soon! Hell of a chapter to write, and it decided to have two chapters instead of one to itself so…

Anyway the proper chapter will be up soon promise! Review so I know you haven't given up on this fic!


	18. King Ipsen

Wow! I actually got it done! Not all of it mind but a bit. There will probably end up being about two more chapter about Ipsen then it will be back to Reason/Justice. Then back to the original characters. Sorry to have all these other characters but I need them to have the complete history which I always seem to need in my stories. Its an obsession with me. Anyway here it is:

King Ipsen sat peacefully on the top tower of the castle. He sighed heavily closing his eyes and only concentrating on the gentle breeze. His ears automatically drowned out the sound of people going about their business and instead listened to the Earth's peaceful silence, the clam centre he yearned to be apart of. 

Every short moment of Ipsen had time to breathe without being judged he would come here to listen to the Earth's core. To watch his people go about their business happily sensing their peace and satisfaction. He loved the feeling of peace he could never feel as clearly anywhere else. Ever since Ipsen had been a child he had found he was able to sense other things many others couldn't. He would walk into a room and be able to tell people every personality of those who had built it or spent a lot of their time there.

This gift he wielded baffled many and every known expert had been sent to study him and add their own theories to the mystery. The latest had been a healer saying his gift was a sign of evolution. She had believed that in centuries to come people may even be able to conjure magic using a similar gift. Ipsen had liked the theory and how close it was, but the theory of how the magic would come onto this world was incorrect. And only he could know that.

The others had not thought much about the idea but such things had always fascinated Ipsen. He knew the magic existed and would be in everyone someday. Sometimes he would even try and concentrate to try and heal a small cut he'd received or to produce an elemental ball. He was never able to succeed but each time he tried he felt as if it were closer within his reach to do so.

The sudden calm atmosphere was broken when Ipsen felt a sudden wave of emotions, fear, defeat, frustration and above all hate. His eyes snapped open and he saw his army escorting many other men towards the castle entrance. Ipsen climbed to his feet and quickly hurried down the tower in order to greet the army. His duties as king were calling to him.

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Courage looked around the room silently fascinated by its structure. The castle was enormous seeming to hold a city's worth of people within its walls which surprised him. Even in Oeilvert not as many had been around as they were here. No children or women had been at any settlements they had attacked so far. _They knew we were going to attack, they evacuated. But how did they know?_

Courage had considered more than once to escape when they were taken up to higher levels but immediately thought better of it. _Maybe they won't be so harsh and give us quick deaths. _

The room in which they finally stopped in was one of displacing elegance. A red carpet was laid on the floor with a table displaying food. Also a beautifully carved statue of what appeared to be an old king was opposite the food. 

"Wait." The man commanded indicating the men to face the elevator. "his highness will be down shortly."

Courage felt hatred towards this king and instead of doing as he was commanded he glared at the statue. This king didn't look at all fit to rule a continent. 

His thoughts were interrupted when the elevator suddenly began to descend. Courage quickly concentrated on his new found hatred making his face show this to the old king. But when the elevator had stopped and King Ipsen stepped off all that Courage could manage to show was his confusion.

This…King couldn't have been more than twenty years old. His hair was fair and short yet long enough for it to fall into this eye line which he was constantly brushing back. His features were smooth looking and clean, just as a youth should be. His green eyes displayed his innocence and eagerness which made Courage uncomfortable to see as so desperate. His youth was shown even more clear by the childish smile he had on his face. The smile was uneasy but it was there. 

Courage couldn't help but burst out laughing and he realised that most of his men had done the same. Who could be afraid of a kingdom with a mere boy as their King? Yet even as the Terrans continued to laugh at him the King remained smiling.

"I do not mind such a reaction from you. It is what I would have done in your position." The King spoke in fluent Terran.

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Ipsen watched as the laughter died and the shock settled on the Terran's features, all the while he continued to smile. In all truth it was the last thing he felt like doing being so near to them with their overwhelming hatred. But he was a King and therefore must show no weakness or glimpses of his hidden power.

"How is it you know our language?" One man asked clearly being the leader of the army. His dark hair suited his present mood and feelings yet Ipsen could sense the protectiveness and large amount of courage in the man.

"To be completely honest I could only tell you that if I trusted you with my life. Just realise though that I have always carried this knowledge and known that one day I would have to use it. So I taught it to my royal advisor, the leader of my army and my closest friend. You have already met." He said indicating to the man in green.

"That's impossible. You wish me to believe a child is the King of this place and you were born with the ability to speak Terran? Not even a child like yourself would fall for such a story! Now, how did you really learn our language? How much do you know of Terra?"

"Terra? So that is the name of that beautiful planet! How I have often wondered what name had been graced to represent such a place. However if you did not believe my reason so far there is no point in telling you the rest."

"This is ridiculous! I demand to see the real King! You dare insult us by presenting us with a child as your authority? Even as prisoners we deserve better than that!" Courage demanded to the man in green who's face began to fill with rage with his weapon slowly moving forward.

"Please Henry, no violence is needed here." Ipsen almost begged in Gaian all too aware of what his temper could lead to. "I wish to talk to their leader alone."

"B-but sir!" Henry protested. "It will be highly dangerous to leave you alone with him, he has slaughtered many!"

"Yes, but he was doing so with the desire to protect, he does not wish to kill but he feels he must protect those he loves. Now please take the others to a lower level away from the people and give them food. It has been days since they last came across a town, they must be hungry." Henry nodded glumily and followed his orders. Soon only Ipsen and Courage stood in the room a look of anger on the Terran's face.

"Where are you taking my men?" He yelled his deep red face inches from Ipsen's.

"Do not worry, no harm will come to them. I merely thought would be hungry after such a tiring time they must have had."

"Why should I trust you? For all I know they could be dead."

"Because I value my life and I know full well you could use magic right now and kill me." He saw the Terran tense up at his words.

"H-how did you..?"

"I sense it within you, its in all of your people except you are the only one among them that knows about the gift you carry."

"How do you know? Who are you?" Ipsen frowned realising that he had not introduced himself to the Terran properly.

"My apologies. I forget my manners sometimes. I am Ipsen."

"Ipsen..?"

"Just Ipsen, there is no need for such formalities as second names here."

"You have a second name? I was just questioning the names itself!" Ipsen smiled at this waiting patiently for the Terran's next move.

"My name is Courage, I am the leader of the Terran army and a member of the Terran council." Ipsen took his hand shaking it firmly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Courage, the name suits you. I can feel the courage within you soul, yet there is also a feeling to protect. Is that why you are here? Do you slay my people in order to save your own?" At the silence that followed Ipsen could only manage a weak smile. "I'm sorry, you have no reason to trust me with such knowledge. Perhaps when you learn more of my story you will understand why I ask such a question.

"Please Courage, when you feel you are ready to believe such a young as is I am can rule over this continent ask me them to tell you more. Until then you may join your men and stay here so some agreement can be made over the problem at hand. I will lead you to your men."

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Courage had never tasted anything quite like it before. Terra's food had long ago lost its taste and individual qualities. At first he had been hesitant but once Ipsen himself had eaten some he'd found no reason against it.

His men seemed to be in high spirits barely registering the Gaian soldiers around the room watching them. Ipsen was listening to them intensely his smile ever present on his young face. 

Courage watched as a soldier approached ipsen and whispered something in Gaian in his ear. Ipsen merely nodded and followed the soldier out of the room with no comment. The atmosphere in the room instantly changed as the young King's absence has acted. The Terran army became uneasy and all too aware of the Gaians around them. The Gaian soldiers stood more alert and uneasy.

Courage swallowed dryly in astonishment. Hoe can one person change people's attitude so much?

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Henry watched Ipsen perform his gift on the dying man feeling a fatherly protectiveness towards him. It had been six years since the King had died and Ipsen had ruled the continent. Even starting at the age of thirteen had not placed any doubt in those obeying him of his abilities. 

When Ipsen had been a baby he had still had the effect on people he did now. Still had been able to brighten up the atmosphere without even realising it. Now he used his gift to know his people's needs and his enemies weakness' in order to defeat them.

The only weakness Ipsen had was his trust and belief in people. Even though he could see the darkness and hidden desires in people he felt they would overcome it. Often he was right, but sometimes he too was wrong.

Ipsen had told him that Courage was merely here to protect his family but the others were here for power. Power was a dangerous urge to mess with and these Terrans were beyond deadly.

Henry watched Ipsen working a peaceful smile on his face. He swore then and there that he would die before seeing the young man suffer. He would always protect him and remain loyal.

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Courage and his men were placed on a guest room rather than a prison. All were in one room and the guards were stood outside but the size of the room was large enough for them all to fit comfortably in. The atmosphere was pleasant with the young King present, his smile firmly in place as always. 

"It was either this or those damp dungeons and I really didn't want you to get ill before we can begin a compromise." He told them cheerily none feeling at all threatened by what he'd said or what was to come. Courage frowned mildly not as heavily effected as the rest of his men by Ipsen's cheerfulness. Ipsen seemed to notice this.

"I'm sorry Courage if my effect on your men is making you uncomfortable. I shall levae and allow you to discuss you next move." With that Ipsen exited the room and the smiled upon his men's faces fell and were replaced with suspicion.

"Why are we in such a wonderful room when we are prisoners?"

"I don't know but we might as well make the most of it."

"So sir, what is the plan? When are we to escape and attack?" Ambition asked. Courage frowned at him seeing the anticipation on all the men's face.

"You still wish to attack?"

"Of course! What else would we do? We have to destroy them so our planet will survive!"

"But they said we could make an agreement."

"Courage don't be a fool! They won't come to any agreement with us! They're just buying time to find out more about the enemy." Courage looked hopelessly at them sighing in defeat.

"Fine…But let us at least wait a while before we do. I want to find out more about the Gaian's. Maybe we can even discover their ways, their weaknesses."

"…Do you really think we should wait to attack?"

"We don't know anything about them, what they are capable of. We need to know more first." Courage said an ache welling up in his heart. "And we need to understand them in order to deceive them." 

Hope you like, more about the depressing life of Ipsen soon. I start my final art exam next week though. But that means I have to research a lot on the computer so I can write in between. Okay my cousin has stolen my copy of the game and still had it so I was wondering whether you guys oculd help me in order to speed this up. I need to know all the eidolons. Just tell me if I've missed any out okay? 

Alexander

Terra homing (whats it real name again?)

Shiva

Phoenix

Ifrit

Bahamut

Ramuh

Atomos

Leviathan

Fenrir

Carbuncle

Ark

The reason for this will be revealed later ^_^. I the mean time I have to do something I forgot last time:

WOOT! PARTY! I HAVE OVER 100 REVIEWS!

Please review so I know you haven't given up on me. And just so you know I'm going to do a little competition soon where you could win a chance to be in the fic! I know I sound like one of those crumbly advertisers but I thought it would be fun to do so let me know what you think! 


	19. Two unique souls

Man I'm really sorry *hides* I had this chapter written ages ago but at first I was too lazy to type it up then I got too busy. So anyway here it is. And thanks to those who helped with the eidolons I really needed it for the next chapter which is finished already but I have to type it up and it is LONG. But I have a training day at school next week so I'll do it then. Anyway enjoy ^_^

Ipsen finished with the last person a warm smile never leaving his face during it all.

"Sir, we must go now." Henry told the young King. Ipsen nodded turning away from the ill Gaians and exiting the hospital. 

"Sir!" A young girl rushed up beside Ipsen. "Please sir, my mother is very sick…"

"No more patients at this moment." Henry said firmly. "The King has grown weary from this work and needs to rest."

"But…" The girl began, her eyes filling with tears. Ipsen smiled warmly at her ans kneeled in front of her making sure he was eye to eye.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"Only a little while away, I couldn't bring her to the hospital because I wasn't strong enough."

"Take me to her."

"Sir! What about the meeting to deal with the intruders?"

"It can wait, they are of no danger at this moment and I will not leave one of my people in pain when I could be helping."

"…Yes sir."

"Henry, if you could prepare the Terrans for the meeting please. I will be there as soon as I can."

"Yes your highness." Henry said with a bow and left quickly. Ipsen turned back to the girl smiling. 

"What's your name?"

"Marie."

"That's a beautiful name." He told her picking her up easily. "Well, Marie, why don't we go help your mother?"

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Courage reluctantly followed the leader of the gaian army. He had persuaded his men to wait, but he didn't know how long he could control them for. 

"Where are we going?" He asked Henry wearily wondering whether the man would actually answer him for once. There was a long pause before began to speak in good Terran. 

"Ipsen wishes for you to meet his council in order for him to make a better decision."

"Needs someone to tell him what to do does he?" Ambition smirked. Courage saw Henry tense at his words but he continued to walk while muttering something in Gaian.

"I would refrain from such comments." Courage hissed in Ambition's ear. "They could still kill you whenever they wanted."

"Yes sir." He replied stiffly.

The room they were led into was clearly used for special occasions and the frequent dances held. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling over a large dining table currently placed in the middle of the room. Courage couldn't help but gasp at the amount of room there was. It was finely decorated with silk wall hangings and suits of armour around the vast room revealing the true wealth of the castle. Paintings of previous Kings hung magnificently around the room accompanied with pictures of the city's cheerful youths or the townspeople going about their business with a smile on their face. Courage couldn't help but allow a smile to cross his face at the sight of them.

"He painted those townspeople paintings didn't he?" He asked Henry who merely nodded at the question. 

Ten other people stood comfortably in the room all elegantly dressed. Strained smiles creased their perfect faces but Courage was not interested in any of them.

"Why are there no paintings of Ipsen?" He asked slowly to Henry. He man ignored him and instead began addressing the council present in Gaian. Courage sighed continuing to look around him until Ipsen would grace them with his presence.

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The house was old and rotting dangerously quick. Ipsen could smell the dampness and wasn't surprised when his foot went through a floorboard. He glanced at Marie in his arms who smiled sheepishly.

"Where is she?" Ipsen asked.

"Upstairs. I couldn't get her to come down, she was too tired."

"Okay." Ipsen began while setting Marie down. "You wait here while I go get her." Marie nodded without hesitation and watched with new hope as Ipsen carefully made his way up the rotting stairs. 

"Hello?" He called lightly as he reached the top of the stairs amazingly unharmed. 

"Marie?" A weak voice called from a nearby room. Ipsen stepped through and saw a woman laid on the floor with a blanket covering her. She looked dreadfully pale, even in the darkness of the house.

"She's downstairs, I'm Ipsen." He said kindly. "I came to help you."

"King Ipsen? Sir, you should not worry about me, you have more important matters." 

"Don't be ridiculous, my duty is to my people, nothing comes before them." He told her while carefully picking her up. "Why have you stayed in this house? Why didn't you come to the castle when we evacuated the town? Most people did so."

"…This is the last connection to my late husband. I wanted Marie to grow up here as he did."

"Then we shall repair this house for you." Ipsen told her. "But first you need some medical attention."

"I am past such help."

"Don't give up so easily, you are not passed all hope. I believe you can make it, so does Marie otherwise she would not have come to me. You owe it to her not to give up."

"…Thank you, highness."

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Courage could see that his men were growing tedious. The nobles had been talking amongst themselves for half an hour now and none of them could understand what they were discussing. For all they knew they could have been choosing what best way to kill them would be. 

So when Ipsen arrived covered in dust with a dirty looking girl by his side and an even filthier woman in his arms Courage couldn't help but feel interested.

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"Please send for a doctor Henry." Ipsen commanded laying the woman on the table.

"Will she be okay?" Marie asked her eyes full of tears as her mother began a viscous coughing fit. 

"She'll be fine." Ipsen said. "But I need you to be brave for me and fetch some water. Can you do that?" Marie nodded viscously running quickly towards the kitchens. Ipsen turned back to the woman removing his gloves.

"You named your daughter after yourself didn't you?" He asked as he laid his arms on top of hers. 

"My husband did, he said she looked too much like me to be named differently."

"He was right." Ipsen grinned. "She is just like you, beautiful and kind hearted. I know in my heart she will help many in desperate times to come." Marie smiled. "She will be a phoenix, a returner of life to those who deserve it." As he spoke a white light began to glow in his hands which were still laid on hers. "She will ease suffering and be remembered always by Gaia." The light left his hands into her own and for a moment her whole body shone brightly. "She will save a life who will change everything for the best, the one who will end the war to come."

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Courage shielded his eyes against the brightness still able to hear Ipsen speaking Gaian. As the light died down he saw Ipsen stand. He moved closer to his side and gazed downat the woman. She was unnaturally still.

"Is she dead?" He asked, Ipsen turned to him somewhat surprised by his presence. 

"Just wait." He said in fluent Terran. Courage did so making way as the little girl came in crying. 

"What did she say?" Courage asked.

"She just keeps saying 'mother'."Ipsen replied a sad look on his face. "I was so sure it would work…"

"What?" But Ipsen didn't answer him. The woman had suddenly wrapped her arms around the crying girl and said something softly to her. The young girl laughed happily hugging her tightly. Courage saw Ipsen smile.

"How did you do that?"

"It happens sometimes when I speak openly, but I have never actually tried to make it work as magic before."

"Magic? How do you have magic?"

"How do you?" He countered watching the mother and daughter happily.

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Ipsen now stood in his office facing the ten council members wearily. Since the healing he had felt so tired, yet he knew he could not rest until something was decided.

"Now that you have seen the Terrans and red the statements given by Henry and his men I think it is time to hear your ideas on the matter."

"Your highness," One spoke up, "These Terrans have killed and destroyed all other habitats on this continent. They tried to kill us! They must be dealt with."

"And what do you suggest?" Ipsen asked calmly.

"Imprisonment! They should be locked up for their crimes."

"Imprisonment? They're murderers!" Another burst out. "On the main continent people are hung for stealing! They should be killed!"

"We can't just execute them." Ipsen said quietly. "They come from a different world, if we were to kill them many more might be sent to repay us in a similar way."

"Good thinking your highness." One said, "We should wait for a negotiator to come from their world before we think such rash thoughts."

"But to keep them in the city would be foolish! What if they get loose?"

"They already have been left alone, they have not tried anything yet." Ipsen said.

"True, you highness. But they most likely have not acted because they have not yet decided the best way to take control."

"I am almost certain that is what they are doing." Ipsen said. "But I still think to imprison them is wrong."

"…Why is that, majesty?"

"Think about it form the Terran's view. They must have a reason to be killing our people, maybe a very urgent one. If we were to imprison them and their leader was to come what impression would we be making?"

"I don't think we have to worry about what impression WE are making after they sent their men to murder the entire continent…sir."

"They might not have known we were here and the men could have panicked."

"They did seem very panicked when they were getting ready to attack the castle sir." Henry put in, Ipsen nodded.

"Fair enough. So the men had the intention to kill us, but what of the other Terrans? They might not all be like that. If we show them we are open to negotiate by treating it's people kindly they may reconsider their plans."

"…And if they aren't?"

"Then maybe by showing the soldiers own decency they themselves will begin to change their opinions and report it to their superiors."

"…What are you suggesting sir?"

"That we let them see the city, under guard of course. We welcome them to meeting like this in the future to discuss it with them. Maybe then they will see we mean no harm and we will be able to come to some agreement with them." The silence in the room felt eternal. Ipsen sighed knowing it could take a while to convince them all.

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Courage and his men had been 'requested' to wait in the large room. Food had been brought and after the Gaian army themselves had eaten they had been convinced it wasn't poisoned and ate some themselves. Courage waited nervously for Ipsen and his council to return. He knew they would decide to kill them, it is what the Terran council would have done if the roles were reversed.

Courage thought of his wife and son back on Terra, on the planet that was dying and would soon fall into chaos. This had been the last hope he had to ensure their happy future and he had failed them. He just wished he could see them one last time, to be able to hold his new born baby when she arrived. 

The door opened and Ipsen came in followed by the council. Courage's men instantly fell silent as one of the members began talking in Gaian. 

"The council have decided." Ipsen translated, "That both the ideas of execution and imprisonment will be delayed until negotiation from your world begins. You are free to wander around at the time we give, however you will take this opportunity to better understand us and maybe even reconsider your intended task." Ipsen smiled. "We hope that our worlds will one day be able to convert to being allies."

Courage heard his men breathe a sigh of relief knowing they would have not take Ipsen's suggestion to thought at all. He sighed heavily dreading what they would suggest to do next now that they were mostly free.

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Ipsen sat staring out from the top of his tower down at the small town around the castle. The light was fading and Ipsen began to feel the exhaustion he had been fighting off all day since he had healed Marie.

For so long Ipsen had been able to feel the magic in him yet still unable to use it. Now he finally had and had been able to save a life in the process. Yet…it felt as if something wasn't right about it all, that he shouldn't have possession of such a gift. 

"It can be used for evil as well as good." He said to himself quietly while gazing at his hand in a child-like wonder. "But could it ever be used through me as evil?" He sighed his head resting in his hands as he began to drift to sleep…

"Sir." Came Henry's voice. Ipsen opened his eyes slowly gazing up at the man. Henry smiled apologetically. "The Terran leader is here to see you. He requests a word alone with you." Ipsen merely nodded and smiled kindly at Courage behind Henry.

"Thank you Henry." He said in Terran so Courage would understand. He turned to Courage as Henry left. "Please sit down, I'm sorry for the lack of chairs."

"Why are you up here?" Courage asked sitting beside him.

"I often come here to gaze down upon my kingdom. A few weeks ago the small town surrounding the castle was full of life and I would watch them go about normally. If they knew I was watching they would act so differently and I just want them to be as they are naturally. Being high in power makes you isolated from people's true personality, it's a sacrifice we must make for such an obligation."

"Why Don't you just quit then?" Ipsen only smiled weakly at the thought.

"Would you give up being the leader of your army that is meant to save your people because you are unable to see your family? You are ensuring their future, would you give up that opportunity?" Ipsen received no answer from the older man and instead Courage turned to gaze at the city with him.

"How come no one is in the villages?" 

"Because you were coming, you had already destroyed some before Henry and his men found you."

"…It did seem strange that they were empty."

"Today was not the first time you saw Marie was it? You saw the two of them before when you attacked and spared them, but why?" Silence hung heavily between the them which made Ipsen feel the thick boundary between the two. He sighed heavily and was surprised when Courage finally spoke.

"They were alone in the house with no one to protect them, and the woman was ill. I couldn't kill them, but I couldn't help them either. My men were too keen for the slaughter of your people in order to save our world. Survival of the fittest." Ipsen nodded understanding. "I just hoped someone would find them and help them before it was too late."

"Thank you." Ipsen said softly. "You helped them when I should have. Even now I make mistakes and other people pay for them. I should have checked the village instead of assuming they would all come." Silence descended on them again as Ipsen continued to gaze at the ruis.

"…Anyone could have made that mistake." Courage said quietly.

"But no one has. My family came from the main continent, we have a long royal line. I have spent years studying them and rarely did they make a mistake. I have already made so many and it has cost my people's lives. I shouldn't have kept the men in the other towns or have them fight in Oeilvert. I shouldn't have underestimated your strength."

"…I doubt any of your precious Kings have had Terrans attack their continent before." Courage pointed out.

"But it was a basic mistake, you should never underestimate the enemy."

"Well you can't do anything about it now can you? Well…except deal with my men and me. Surely our people want our blood?"

"Some do, others just wish to know why you decided we had to all die. They want to know the reason their loves ones life's were taken."

"…Our planet is dying, it is old, a lot older than this one. It needs to consume a younger planet in order to not die out. But only when most life has been destroyed and chaos is reigning will it be able to do so."

"…I see. And you chose this planet."

"It is the youngest, it will ensure our planet to last longer."

"And if you don't it will die, along with everyone on it?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"A few thousand years at the most. We are the first action being taken to stop it from happening."

"Are you sure it's the only way?"

"It is the most likely successful option, we have tried others but nothing has worked."

"How did you get here?" Ipsen asked suddenly.

"My son invented a machine that can teleport people from one place to another."

"How would you get back?"

"There is only one place we can return through, its not on this continent though." Ipsen just nodded silently at this..

"How old is your son?"

"Seven."

"He's a smart child. Have you not considered that your son may come up with a different solution to the problem?"

"…He doesn't know about it, only the council and my wife."

"If your wife knows I am sure your son will too shortly." Ipsen told him, "He will miss his father."

"Maybe, but its better he is alive to be able to miss me."

"You don't think you will survive this." It wasn't a question, but Courage found himself answering anyway.

"I just have a feeling that I will never be able to return home."

"Then I am sorry we are the people you will spend your final days with."

"I have had this feeling since I came here, that I will never leave, yet no one will actually end my life." Ipsen didn't know what to say to that. "I just wish I could see my baby before I do, my wife is pregnant you see."

"Congratulations, I am sure she will be as smart as Reason."

"How did you know his name? Or that the baby will be a girl?2

"It's just a gift I have sometimes. I don't know why or how, I can only assume its because of what I am."

"And what are you exactly?" Courage asked, his interest obviously growing.

"…When my soul was first born in the cycle of souls I was Terran, but there was a slight problem within the cycle that caused me to instead join the Gaian cycle."

"What was the problem?"

"The new souls were evolving as they were created. The Terran's were beginning to possess the magic ability, although they didn't actually know it."

"…But what happened when I was in the cycle, that was when it first began. After it the cycle grew used to the change and everything was fine. Hoe can you have been created then when you are so young?"

"My soul is as old as you are, but it was not born until nineteen years ago. My soul had drifted a long time before it joined the Gaian cycle. It's the reason I was so aware of it, as I wandered I evolved further. That's why I have this extra gift, and why I can do magic. What about you?"

"What?"

"How are you aware of this mistake in the cycle? How are you the only one realising the magic you possess?"

"…I don't know."

"Courage, if you don't wish to tell me I will not force you, but please son't think you have to lie." Courage nodded. "What is it you came here for?"

"I wanted to thank you for convincing the council to spare us."

"Please don't. I asked them in order to save my planet."

"Thank you anyway."

"…I just hope we can reach some kind of agreement. I have a bad feeling I may yet make another mistake…and this time it will be my last


	20. his final mistake

I think when you see how fast this post was you'll all die of shock ^_^ I told you I would type it all on my training day. All 16 pages *hands throbbing*. Anyway this is the final show for our friends Ipsen and Courage. Also just another rather offending last comment to be made.

I can understand people wanting Zidane back in the story and I could take those reviews. But to have a review by '…' telling me in such a rude way that they 'don't see the point' in Ipsen and such I get a little annoyed. If there was no point do you think I'd be writing about him? Honestly I take the time to do this thing when I need to write my other stories and finish coursework so you can better understand the main story later on and I get a review like that! Maybe I don't want to get to the point after reading that! I am so close to saying the hell with it and giving up on this thing! You don't see the point then don't read it! 

So thanks to '…' I will get to the point. these chapters happen to be vital but seen as you obviously don't want to read them I will just do the rest of Reason and Meaning in one incredibly long chapter. Seen as I haven't started it yet except half a page it could take a while. Longer than I normally would. And with my final exams coming up in June I don't know when I'll get to write it. But at least then I will get to the point faster eh? Unless you want me to leave them out altogether so you don't understand any of the story in which case there would be no point in me writing at all. 

Anyway, enjoy cause it will be a while till the next one and you know who to thank.

Marie chased the boy giggling madly. The castle was huge and she liked it here better than the crumbling house. Her mother was doing well now, already up and about three weeks after Ipsen had healed her.

Marie finally caught the boy tackling him to the floor but stopped when the Terrans came near. The head of the army was close to them with his men separating the Terrans from those around them. Marie recognised one who had spared her mother and herself.

She wanted to thank him but something stopped her, the idea that he might have been the same man to end her father's life.

"Marie! Get off me!" The boy complained. She giggled again while climbing to her feet. It was then she saw the King walking just behind the army. 

"Ipsen!" She yelled happily running into his arms. 

"Hello Marie. How are you doing? Is you're my home okay?"

"It's beautiful! Mum likes it too but sometimes it upsets her about our old house."

"Well, tell her not to worry because all of the village will be restored in a little while."

"When?"

"After we have sorted out this business with the Terrans, okay?"

"Thanks Ipsen. It will make mum so happy!" She said giggling. "Where are you going?"

"To a meeting with the council."

"Sounds boring."

"Maybe, but its all part of my job."

"When will it end?"

"I'm not sure, it could end up taking all day."

"Oh, well I'll see you afterwards." She sang while running off.

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"We have still had no word from this world 'Terra'." A council member spoke. "Three weeks since the last meeting, it is time we renew our options and decisions."

Ipsen translated in Terran although many of them no longer needed it.

"However this time the Terrans have the chance to be heard."

Courage stood up and looked around him.

"I have informed your King of the reason our planet attacked and I am sure he has passed on that information. Our entire planet is dying and our people along with it. Our council saw no other choice but to attack."

"All this King Ipsen has informed us of." The council spokesman said wearily, "And we sympathise with your situation, however you may have guessed we are nit about to just let you kill our planet instead."

"Obviously, but where does that leave us?"

"If your council were to come and meet us to discuss this we could find some way of agreement. Maybe we can allow your people a continent here on Gaia.!

"You mean leave our home!" Ambition exploded. "why should we have to do that?"

"Because your planet is the one dying." The spokesman said harshly. "And King Ispen has informed me that even if your planet were to consume ours it would need to have another planet in a few thousand years. King Ipsen, if you would care to explain your theory."

"Thank you." Ipsen began speaking now in Terran . "I have done research since you arrived and have confirmed Courage's saying that your planet is the oldest, the first in fact. It has existed for millions of years before any other planets had begun to form. Your planet has grown so old that it can no longer produce new energy, or life force.

"It tried to produce a different type of energy instead about thirty five years ago, hoping this would enable more energy needed to form. But instead it is causing your planet to die out faster."

"What energy is this?" A council member asked.

"Souls. The planet began to cause the Terran souls to evolve within its cycle hoping this would stop it from dying."

"How would that stop it from dying?"

"Because the evolved souls each now carried a part of the energy keeping the planet alive. Magic. Magic is what stops our planet's dying, it is the centre of the planet enchanting it to live. By pouring this magic into every soul on the planet it had hoped this would stop it from dying.

"You see, with the cycle possessing the magic and those on the planets surface as well as the planet itself it had thought this would save it. Because the magic was everywhere helping every part of the planet to live."

"So you mean the planet won't die?" Courage asked.

"I'm sorry, but it will. The idea would have worked if done only a few thousand years earlier. But now the planet has given too much magic out and not enough remains in the planet itself anymore. Only if more magic came could it survive."

"Like if it consumed another planet's energy." Ambition muttered.

"Exactly." Said Ipsen, "But even that won't last, the planet's energy are all unique, soon after it has consumed the energy it will reject it. If the planet were younger it would accept it, grow with it. But this planet is fully grown and unable to accept new changes, which is why…" Ipsen stopped unable to bring himself to finish.

"Which is why all the Terran's are going to die." Courage finished . Murmurs ran out throughout the room. 

"What do you mean?" The council spokesman asked.

"The planet had its energy in our souls changed so the magic could flow within us. We are different from the planets energy because we have both magic and our normal life force energy. Soon it will reject us too." Courage said quietly.

"It will kill us? How can a planet kill us?" Ambition burst.

"We need certain things to live, like oxygen. The planet could stop producing it or could create a disease to kill us all off."

"…When?"

"I don't know, but it can't be too long. Just over ten years or so."

"Ten years!"

"Well, fifthteen to be exact." Ipsen put in.

"But…but no one knows about this! We have some of the greatest scientists observing the planet, they would have noticed!"

"They will see no difference for another ten years. The it will be to late to stop it."

"We must warn them! We must go to Terra to warn them!"

"We can't allow you to do that." Ipsen said calmly, "If we let you go you will inform your council of what we have here, our situation. We would become vulnerable to any attack you wished to do. We must wait for your council to contact us first."

"And how would they do that? They can't contact us here, they would have to come themselves and they would never risk that!"

"…I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

Courage remained quiet throughout this, memories of his family invading his vision. He really would never see them again…

"I'm sure they will come for you." The council's spokesman whispered.

"Come for us? Why would they! They selected us because they knew no one would miss us! Only Courage has a family here and I doubt they will march all the way here just for him!"

"Ambition.." Courage began.

"It's alright for you! You will never be forgotten! Your wife and children will always remember you but we will just vanish and no one will care! No one will even notice!"

"Well maybe we can help send a message…" Ipsen began

"I don't want your help!" Ambition stormed making for the door. The Terran army followed him, all except Courage.

"I'm sorry about that." He began 

"Don't be sorry." Ipsen told him, "It is how I would have most likely reacted in his situation."

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Ambition faced the army as they reached the room they were put in once more. For the first time since they arrived they were truely alone, no guards were posted around them or nearby.

"We must destroy this castle and return home." He muttered. 

"But how? They won't let us leave! They have guards and weapons, we can't win them."

"We possess something they don't, magic."

"But we don't know how to use it! How are we going to learn?" Ambition just smiled.

"Courage said the King used magic to heal that woman. I'm going to make him tell me."

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Marie followed Ipsen as he entered the entered the streets.

"How did it go? Was it boring?"

"…Not a word I would use to describe that meeting."

"Did something bad happen?"

"You could say that…Marie, do you miss your father?"

"Very much." She said quietly tears filling her young eyes.

"…You like Courage as a person don't you?"

"He's friendly, I like him. He spared me and my mother."

"…What if you knew that he had done something awful to you, would you forgive him?"

"What do you mean?" Marie asked her small lip quivering. 

"Courage was the one to kill your father in Oeilvert. Your father had been leading the men to attack and Courage stabbed him. He…"

"Stop it!" Marie screamed, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you need to know. You need to decide how you feel about him."

"How could you do this Ipsen? I hate you! I HATE YOU!" She screamed running off. Those around were muttering and glaring at the young King but he barely cared anymore.

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Ambition found the young King near the top of the tower yet not at the very top as he usually was. He was in a room containing a map of Gaia on the wall. Ambition had been made to go up an old elevator in order to reach it.

"May I help you?" Ipsen asked not yet turning to face him. Candles were lit around the room ad he seemed to be praying.

"What are you doing?" Ambition asked coldly.

"I'm not too sure yet." Ipsen sighed turning to face him. "But I am sure you know why you came here." 

"You said the magic is in all our souls, I want you to help me use it."

"You know I can't do that."

"Why? My planet is dying and I want to help!"

"And how would knowing magic do that?"

"We could use it to help the planet more…somehow."

"If you wanted to try and fool me the least you could have done was have thought it through first."

Ambition was never known for his temper, and he wasn't one to have it tested by a young authority figure. He lunged at Ipsen his hands going round the young man's throat.

"Tell me!" He screamed as Ipsen turned a shade of purple. He released him roughly making his body slam into the mosaic world map. The impact caused four tiles on it to fall and break.

"Do you deny me the chance to save my planet."

"You can't save it." Ipsen whispered through his aching throat.

"Liar!" A burst of red shot from his hands, four bursts each hitting the place where the tiles had been moments before. It was only after four shots that Ambition began to realise where the firs had come from and he stared at his hands in amazement.

"Ambition…" Ipsen began.

"So, when you are overwhelmed with a certain emotion it unlocks your power!" He said laughing. He stared at Ipsen with a cold smile. "When I am through with your castle I will be coming for you." 

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Henry and his men searched around desperately to learn where the Terrans has vanished to. Only Courage had been found who Ipsen had explained to them was not the threat. Courage had been left to wander as he liked while they searched for the others, but already Henry knew it was useless.

"I won't give up." He muttered, "I will defend the King and this castle with my life."

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Ipsen kneeled before the map, his eyes were closed and his hands pressed firmly together.

"Please don't allow this continent to fall for no reason. I ask you to seal the way back to Terra at the four points Ambition has revealed. Send guardians to protect it so the Terran army can never return to their home. And a guardian here to guard the secret of the seal. Please allow us the chance to protect our planet, let our souls continue to watch over it…"

At his last words four circled keys appeared in the four locations on the map and a voice filled the room…

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Ambition grinned while watching Henry and his men from a distance. His army were almost ready now. Most had mastered the se of magic and were willing to destroy the castle city. All they needed was Courage…

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Ipsen was still in the small room when courage found him.

"My army! They're…" He stopped short at the grim look on the King's face.

"I am aware your army is missing." He said roughly through his aching throat, it's usual cheerful voice was full of weariness and despair.

"But how…you look so…"

"I know." Ipsen interrupted impatiently surprising Courage with his tone. "I am no longer the person who I was."

"…I don't understand."

"I have offered my soul to the God's, the ones that watch over this planet. Soon I will have my life ended and will serve them by watching over the planet."

"What about your peace?"

"I will find no peace now, not until this reign between Terra and Gaia has ended once and for all."

"…But that might never end, not until Terra dies completely. That's thousands of years away!"

"Then I guess I will not rest in that time, there will be too much to do in order to keep the Terrans form succeeding."

"You shouldn't have to do that, you already had to drift for so long."

"I was suppose to protect this continent and I have failed. Now all I can do is watch as the Terran army kill my people. I can no longer help them, it was part of the deal to offer my soul, in failure."

"But why? You could have saved them still."

"No one can save them now. Ambition has learnt how to use magic because of me and now all of the army will have mastered it too. Nothing can save them now. I have failed them."

"That wasn't your fault! You didn't know this would happen!"

"For so long I had felt something like this would happen. Still I hadn't believed I could change it."

"But you can't sacrifice you soul! You could be kept working for them for all eternity!"

"Nothing I don't deserve. Once I die I will serve them as many others will that I must recruit. All will be through their actions…

"One through failure

One through betrayal

One through reason 

One through love

One through forgiveness

One through loyalty

One through duty

One through friendship

One through revenge

One through honour

One through uncertainty

One through protection

One through humility

And one through ignorance."

"…But when we these be chosen?"

"They are already chosen, but will begin their destiny at different times. Some will today, the others over the next few thousand years before the true war will begin."

"The true war? Against Terra and Gaia?"

"That's one of the battles, although by then Terra will have another ally. One that can cause endless oblivion."

"Who?"

"That doesn't matter yet. First it will be because of your son that this will be able to happen."

"My son? Reason?"

"In fifthteen years time the Terrans will die, but he will create something which will one day revive them. He will be responsible for the rising of it."

"It?"

"This does not concern you…yet. It will be your son's fight to stop it, to prevent his creations from destroying Gaia."

"But what if he fails? What if he doesn't want to save Gaia?"

"They'll be another to guide him. Two in fact, his sister and genome soul."

"You mean my baby?"

"Yes, only her and the genome can help him."

"Genome?"

"Never mind that, you will learn of it one day."

"…Did they tell you this?"

"Yes," Ipsen sighed, "These are my instructions, I must find those destined to protect this planet, ones who will delay their eternal peace for the cause. They will be rewarded with rest when they are not in service and then they will be able to rest when it is all over."

"What about you? Will you get to rest or will you live every moment of those few thousand years?"

"I am the one who will find them and wake them when they are needed. I must stay between eternal rest."

"But that's torture!"

"Nothing I don't deserve for failing my people."

"…So when you die you will serve them with no way out of it?"

"Yes."

"Then I will find a way to stop you dying." Ipsen laughed at that. "Believe me Ipsen, you don't want to spend thousands of years in tireless existence."

"And is this something you experienced yourself?"

"…My soul was the first created with the new magic ability. That was three thousand years ago."

"It was? But…"

"The planet made me by accident and it took a long time before it realised this may actually save it. Because I was different I was unable to properly join the cycle of souls, so I was forced to wander for thousands of years, still in existence."

"Was it awful?" Ipsen asked sounding so child like.

"Worse than anything you could imagine. I…I don't wish anyone to have a similar fate."

"It's too late for that." Ipsen said with a sad smile. "When I die I'll be theirs."

"Then you must not die. I will find a way like I said before."

"Everything dies eventually, you can't stop that…but there is something I need to request from you."

"Anything."

"Go talk to Marie and tell her what happened to her father."

"Her father?"

"He was the man in charge at Oeilvert. He died under your sword."

"…Why?"

"She needs to know that not all death is done deliberately. She needs to know about it in order to forgive you. Please." A desperate look appeared on the young man's face and there was a shimmer of tears in his eyes.

"I will."

"Thank you." Ipsen bowed as Courage left. Courage just shrugged not realising it was the last time he would see the young King.

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Marie had fled to her father's crumbling house unable to pause her tears. Loving memories of her father played in her mind and she could feel a cold emptied inside her. Them she pictured Ipsen revealing who her father's killer was and her whole body began to shake with anger.

Why did he have to tell her? Why did he have to hurt her like that? He had saved her mother and she loved him because of it, but why did he need to take her love and instead make her feel like this?

"I thought you might be here." The very sound of the voice made Marie fill with anger and an overwhelming helplessness all at once.

"What do you want? Do you wish to kill me too?"

"if I did I wouldn't have let you live before Marie." Courage said quietly. "I didn't mean to kill him."

"Yes you did, you killed all of them there!"

"Yes we did kill, and back then we thought it was necessary. I see it different now thanks to Ipsen."

"Ipsen." Marie stammered with a heavy heart. "He doesn't care about m…anyone anymore."

"That's not true! He is willing to sacrifice everything for his people. I don't know why he told you, but I do know if he felt you needed to know then you must."

"Or maybe he just hates me."

"Why would he hate you?"

"…Because I always bother him when he needs to work."

"Trust me Marie, I think he is glad you do."

"…So why are you here anyway?" Marie asked finally.

"To tell you what happened, the you can know the truth instead of wandering for the rest of your life."

"…Okay." She said weakly, Courage smiled and sat beside her.

"Your father was in charge of the army at Oeilvert. We could tell that because pf the green suit he wore. So I told my men to capture him for negotiations later one. But your father would not have it, he would not become the downfall for the continent when we would use him to get past your defences. So instead he grabbed his sword and charged at me…he was too angry to aim properly and it was easy enough to block him and…" He couldn't finish, but he knew Marie got the idea.

"…Daddy was always like that. He said he would rather die than risk harm to any of his fellow people."

"I'm sorry I was the one to end his life. He was…a man I would have been honoured to know."

"Thank you." Marie sobbed. Courage began to put a hesitant hand around her shoulder but stopped midair. He smiled weakly before turning to leave. He was almost out of the door when he heard a mall mutter of,

"I forgive you…" 

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"The seal has been set." Ipsen muttered placing the pieces back on the map. "Only with these keys will the gateway of Terra be opened. They can no longer use their teleport to come here…It is all I can do now."

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Once Courage had left the old house he hadn't walked for half a minute before he was grabbed from behind and led to another crumbling house.

"What the..?" He began.

"Sorry sir," Ambition grinned. "We needed to get you somehow."

"What do you think you are doing running off?"

"We can all do magic now sir! We can slaughter the Gaians!"

"No! we don't need to kill them!" Courage burst. The smiled faded from his men's faces.

"What?"

"They don't want to hurt us! We can negotiate with them."

"…You have been effected by that Ipsen's magic. You are not yourself."

"I am myself! Ipsen is a good King and we can bargain with him!"

"Don't worry Courage, we will end all their life's and then you will be yourself again."

"N…" But he was hit over the back of the head with a sword butt before another word could escape him. The army looked uneasy but determined.

"You see? We must kill them in order for our leader to recover! Then we will return home and be heros!"

The men cheered with insane glints spreading within their eyes. They all did test fireballs before exiting the building towards the castle.

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Henry stood waiting as the Terran army came charging towards the castle. His men and he stood at the bottom of the stairs ready for them. Henry shivered with fear knowing that this was all they could do. 

"Remember." He told his men firmly. "You serve the King to protect our people, and even if you day today you will prove your loyalty to the King. It has been an honour serving with all of you." His men cheered whole heartedly raising their weapons high and waiting as the Terrans drew nearer, fireballs being released…

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Marie had watched the army head towards the castle with terror running through her. However she saw that Ambition had headed towards the place Courage had last come from wanting to be aware of his purpose for bring there. Marie gasped weakly as the door swung open.

"Ah, so Courage was with you." He grinned moving further into the house. Mrie backed away near to the stairs. "I guess he was missing his son so he was using you as a substitute."

"Leave me alone!" Marie cried starting to climb the stairs, his words were foreign to her and she could only see the mad look in his eyes. 

Ambition smiled coldly as he watched struggle up the stairs. He lifted his hand and shot a fireball at the stairs causing them to collapse. The last he saw of Marie was her falling with the remains, her scream cut off suddenly as she hit the ground.

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Already after the first round of magic half of Henry's men were dead. He brought down two Terrans and dodged a fireball. It had barely started and already it was ending. He swung around to slash a Terran when he was hit from behind.

_I tried Ipsen_ he thought before his world was invaded by darkness and he knew no more.

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Ipsen watched from the top of his tower as the Terrans slaughtered his people. More than anything he wished he could go down and help. But the Gods had claimed him now and they commanded him to stay and wait. Wait for his killer to come…

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Within three hours all the Gaians in the castle were dead. The Terran army remaining gathered in the great hall drinking the wine and eating heartily. 

"So where's the King?" One asked, Ambition just grinned.

"He'll be in his little tower. You lot stay and eat while I so and take care of him."

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Courage groaned clutching his throbbing head. He looked around aware that he was still in a house. The dust seemed to have settled around him once again showing he had been unconscious for a while. 

Courage stood up wearily causing the dust to scatter into the air. His world began to spin and he was forced to lean heavily on the wall for a few minutes while it balanced out once more. Only he knew in reality that his life was still turned upside down, he could see that the moment he walked through the door.

The town was in ruins as it was before but now the castle which had stood out amongst it all was silent. No noise of children's laughter or people chatter drifted on the stale wind to Courage. Only endless silence found him. 

"No." He breathed while feeling the heavy silence. He set off in a sprint with the crunching rubble beneath his feet inhumanly loud in his ears. His ragged breathing was the only thing he dare concentrate on, not what he might find, not that this was all his doing…

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Never would Courage be able to bring himself to describe such a place. However the image of the castle was one to stay in his memory forever. 

The sun had retreated it's golden rays from the darkened sky leaving only shadows and an unwanted chill running through the castle. A gentle wind had appeared when the light had vanished, carrying the scent of burnt flesh and blood through the air.

Courage didn't dare look at the fallen on the ground, he knew he wouldn't have the stomach for it. More than once he stumbled on a lump of flesh causing his breath to catch in his throat. This was beyond inhuman. 

He approached the centre of the town in a traumatised state no longer able to see those laying on the ground as once being people.

"Sir!" A Terran called eagerly, the drunken army moved towards their approaching leader.

"We've done it sir! We have taken the continent! Soon Ipsen's magic will be undone and you will be you normal self!"

"He's not dead?" Courage asked.

"Not yet, but Ambition is just about to kill him! Any moment now."

"No!" Courage yelled a new kind of adrenaline pumping through him. "I can't let him die, they will take his soul!"

"…Sir, you should clam down, you're glowing.."

"I won't let Ambition kill him!"

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Ipsen heard him approach from behind and he smiled weakly.

"Have you come to end me?" He asked quietly.

"Nothing you don't deserve!"

"So I deserve to die for telling you the truth?"

"You deserve to die because you won't let us save our planet!"

"You cannot save it, no matter whether you warn them or not. It will die."

"And how would you know this?"

"I know a lot about your planet." This caused Ambition to smirk.

"Yes I know that. I knew it when I discovered the other big city was named sanctuary in Terran." Ipsen smiled slightly when hearing the word 'Oeilvert' used as its real meaning, sanctuary." 

"It just seemed to fit when my father asked me what I wanted it to be called. It was meant to protect the people within its walls. But I knew before you came it would fail."

"Hah! So you knew they would die? Yet you let the men stay?"

"It was the only way they would have an honourable death. It is what they wanted."

"How would you know? Did you ask them?" Ambition spat.

"I just know these sort of things."

"Sure you do! Truth is you sent them to die for no reason! That's why you can't stand yourself! It's why you don't have any paintings of yourself with the other Kings in the hall. But don't worry you highness, I disposed of them all and that rather fancy chandelier."

"yes, I knew they would die, knew it was how they would have wanted to go. But still I didn't want it. I wanted to be able to save them like a King should. But I failed, as I was always destined to. As I have always known I would. That is why no painting hung with the others." Ipsen said quietly turning to face the Terran with a rare look of pure defiance. "But at least I will be able to ensure the fall of Terra once and for all!"

"Not if you are dead!" Ambition cried releasing his fireball. Ipsen closed his eyes bowing his head slightly as he waited for it to hit.

_I am yours now._

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The bodies of the Terran army littered the floor around him, Courage cried out in shock. He had let the magic overcome him and this had been the result. The first Ultima spell had been unleashed.

Courage gazed at his hands in chock unable to believe what he had just done. He knew now he could never return home, he had betrayed his own people.

"Ipsen…" He recalled vaguely and headed for the tower.

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Ambition stood over the body of King Ipsen a full smile on his lips.

"Now you will know in your afterlife never to interfere with Terra again!" He shouted spitting on the body. He kicked at it giggling happily. 

"…What have you done?" Came a strained whisper from behind him. Ambition turned and grinned at Courage.

"It is over. He is dead and his enchantments with him. I have freed you sir!"

"…You cannot begin to understand what you have done."

"I have released you!"

"You have condemned Terra to destruction!"

"I have saved Terra! We can return and warn them!"

"We cannot return! Ipsen prayed to the Gaian Gods in order to seal the way to Terra. We can never return with just the two of us!"

"…What do you mean two?"

"The others are dead. I killed them."

"You killed them!"

"It was an accident, emotion overtook me and the magic was very powerful."

"…You traitor!"

"You are the traitor! You have condemned Ipsen to an eternity of suffering. He will recruit fourteen souls to help him crush Terra! You have begun the end of Terra!"

"Liar! I have saved Terra! Ipsen is dead!"

"He may be dead but his soul is not, he will be ready at the final battle and he will win."

"You are not enchanted! You are just a traitor! I will not allow you to say such things!" Ambition cried shooting off a fireball. Courage formed a reflective barrier around himself causing the fireball to backfire. Ambition's body fell to the ground.

A heavy silence descended upon the castle, upon the entire continent. No living creature stirred except Courage, more alone than he ever thought possible. He shoved Ambition's body out of the way and his gaze set upon the fallen King. The left side of his body was burnt badly and it made Courage almost sick at the smell of burnt flesh. Tears welled up in his eyes as he saw the unusual peaceful look on Ipsen's face.

"I'm sorry." He whispered bowing his head. He forced away the tears and stood heading down the tower to the room with the map in. Courage studied it carefully while his mind wandered to his family. His beautiful wife he would never be able to see again, to hold or hear her whisper softly to him. He would never be able to see his son grow up, never see him try and save Terra as Foresight had predicted. He would never be able to meet his daughter.

"God of Gaia, I know you can hear me. I…I wish to offer you my soul." Silence followed the offer and it was a good ten minutes before Courage heard an all consuming voice speak in his head.

_"You are a Terran soul. Why offer your service to us?"_

"Because it is the least I can do. Ipsen sacrificed everything he is to protect this planet. The least I can do is offer my services as one of his chosen."

_"The eidolons have already been chosen, over the next thousand years they will be revealed. Three have already agreed to protect the planet."_

"Three? Who?"

_"One through failure, one through forgiveness and one through loyalty."_

"Failure? That's Ipsen right?"

_"He is the leader of them, yes."_

"Frogiveness?" Courage muttered pondering over who it could be. Then he heard Marie's words in his mind.

**_" I forgive you"_**

"Marie is one? But she's so young."

_"Her soul has accepted her fate and she has agreed to help. Her spirit is inexperienced but it has emotional power within it required in order to become an eidolon."_

"One through loyalty? Who's that?"

"The man closet to the first eidolon has proved his loyalty to him and agreed to be one of those who protect the planet."

"Henry?"

"That was his name."

"So all the eidolons have been chosen even though some have lived yet?"

"Yes."

"So even though I offer my soul you will not allow me to protect the planet."

"You are the next eidolon."

"…I am?"

"You have offered you services to us. You proved yourself through betrayal. You are the first to use the powerful Ultima spell. Your power will be used to protect the descendants of the royal family when you are needed."

"So I am to die now?"

"…Yes, all you must do is accept your task and then you will die." Courage hesitated taking the moment to think of his family. How he would miss them.

"…I accept."

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The castle and the ruins surrounding it were engulfed in a bright light. The light grew like a small explosive force but it was concealed to the crater's edge. As the light faded the castle was changed. the ruins surrounding it were gone as were the bodies of both the Terrans and the Gaians. The castle itself changed, symbolising how the magic would soon turn Gaia's way of life completely upside down… 


	21. a quiz for you reviewers

Okay this isn't a chapter, sorry people L . There is no way I can write at this stage. I have banned myself from my play station, writing any of my stories (Which has been hard) and I have cut down internet time, which I will soon banned myself from soon as well. I just need to say a few things:

1) sorry I was so angry and grumpy before. I blame the stress of exams and *cough* a little family problem that's happening, so I am very sorry.

2) I will never give up on this story. Ever. So ignore that threat from before.

3) I have finally realised a plot for after these Reason chapters, yay! So after my exams whe I have over six weeks for writing (can't wait!).

4) my last exam is 24th June and I'm afraid I can't write any of this till then, sorry but GCSE's are going to change the course of my life and I want to get at least some C's.

5) In August this fic will be a year old, so expect one of my lame celebration chapters, lol.

Also I have made a list of questions yet to be answered for this fic as a little quiz. If you get some right or have answers I like I will add you in as a character (or you can make a character you want) in the story. I need quite a few so please do compete! I have some ideas of the answers to the questions but if you have better ones I may ask permission to use them. You can out quiz answers either in reviews or e-mail me at kingleby1987@hotmail.com.

1) What exactly is the point of Ipsen in this story?

2) What did Reason's mother do to have him hate her so much?

3) How did you Kuja get through the barrier to Gaia if Ipsen sealed both sides?

4) Who is the protector of Terra?

5) How is Terra still there?

6) Why does Kuja have a hint of red still in his hair?

7) What is Zidane's plan to turn him back from being evil?

8) Is Zidane's soul temporary, like Kuja's?

9) If it wasn't Kuja who needed both Eiko and Dagger in order to summon him who is it?

And the other question we are all dying to know:

10) Will Zidane wear a thong and make-up when he turns evil? Lol ^_^

Also if you can guess my OC coupling that's a bonus. A certain person already know *cough* Alex *cough* Anyway so please send entries for quiz and you will see more chapters appearing at the end of June. 


	22. traitors of Terra

Hi! I'm back! Exams are over! The computer is fixed! Writer's block over! Life is great anyway I know exactly what to write now but I thought I'd give you this little bit of the chapter so you know I'm alive. The rest should be up in the next week and the chapter after that has already been written! The quiz is still open by the way and I'll start informing people who have won when I've done these Reason chapters. So enjoy the read!

The room was silent as her words settled heavily on the occupants. All at first wore a blank expression that was impossible to read. The children's mother picked up a glass of water to relive her parching mouth. At that moment everyone began shouting at once.

"What! But that only gives us…"

"That is not amusing! I would have thought better from you Kindness."

"Finally! Someone has seen it too." At this statement from Foresight all yelling stopped and they stared shocked at her.

"Y-you knew?" Order burst, his normal clam leading role forgotten.

"Of course." She said calmly. "I see almost everything that is to come."

"So why didn't you warn us? Why did you wait for Kindness to tell us when its too late?"

"Because that was the way it was meant to be. It had to be this way for Terra to have a second chance in three thousand years time."

"But what about now?"

"That depends on what happens next, I see all possible outcomes from different choices made. The chance for Terra now relies on Kindness and her family." Foresight said slowly.

"And how is that?" Opinion burst.

"You will see that in the next three years, once Reason has revealed his true colours."

"Leave my family out of this! This is about Gaia not my son!" Foresight smirked at Kindness' outburst.

"Then I would suggest we attack the planet. From what I can see for the best future we need to achieve control over it. If we attack now and destroy the remaining life on the main continent we can then transport onto it for a while."

"But what about this planet?" Order asked.

"Young Reason has begun developing a theory of stopping time. Once he has made this possible we can freeze Terra and live on Gaia until we've found a way to stop the planet killing us."

"…That is a good idea." Opinion grinned.

"I won't let you use my son for your plans! I won't let you corrupt him!"

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The image of their mother and the council faded as the machine began to smoke. Reason frowned deeply and shook it vigorously while his sister merely stood and wandered silently into the bedroom. Reason sighed, tempted to pick up his screwdriver and fix the device. But his sister meant more to him than some stupid machine.

"Meaning? Are you okay?" He asked placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"In three years we are all going to die. What are we going to do Reason?"

"Don't worry Meaning, I'm sure the council will come up with something different."

"They just want to take over Gaia to save us! Even if it were right to do so we don't have a big army and there's no time to organise one and take over a whole world!" She yelled hysterically.

"Maybe we can negotiate with Gaia, we could live on their world like Ipsen thought we could."

"You really think the council will do that? You heard them Reason, and anyway even if they did the way to Gaia is sealed off. We can't get there through the teleports anymore someone from the other side must break the seal."

"Meaning, I built those teleports, leave that to me. Right now we have to help mother convince the council to negotiate with Gaia. Come on, let's get down there."

"But we can't get in." Meaning said puzzled. Reason just smiled.

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Reason connected the new device to the meeting door with swift ease. Meaning watched him in awe as he broke the unbreakable code into the council room.

"You never told me you could do that." She breathed with admiration. "When did you learn to do that?"

"You're not the only one who's been here to pick up some files before." Reason said with a wink. The door bleeped with access. "You ready?"

"Not really, but they would of heard us now."

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Foresight was a beautiful woman for her forty five years. Ever since she was three years old she was able to see the many possible outcome each decision would lead to. The gift would have sent many mad, but not Foresight. Even when she had seen that the death of her parents would soon arrive she had managed to stay sane. All because she wanted to witness this, the three years in which she would shape Terra's future. At the moment in which Reason and his little sister entered the council room she knew which path to take, which person to corrupt.

"Mother?" Meaning asked uncertainly, Foresight smirked at her fear. That girl was too much like her father for her own good. She _knew_ when to be afraid, she had an idea of what was to soon happen to her mother.

"Sweetie, what are doing here?" Kindness asked giving her daughter a hug. A hug of reassurance that lost its effect due to Foresight's little giggle for the girl. Yes, that girl had to be disposed of as soon as possible, after the mother of course.

"How did you get in here?" Order burst glaring at the device in Reason's hand, the boy blushed with embarrassment. _How modest _Foresight thought bored.

"He did invent the device of transporting people to another planet Order, I'm sure ten years later he would manage to break one silly code for a door." She winked at the boy making him the colour of a tomato, obviously he wasn't used to women who weren't related to him. The sister was whispering something to her mother, something Foresight couldn't quite hear. However the shift in possibilities it suddenly brought made her smile. Finally it would begin.

"They came to change your mind about Gaia." She told Order growing bored with how long they were taking. Order glared at Reason, obviously not feeling comfortable at directing his anger on a ten year old girl.

"And why is that?"

"Um, w-well…" Reason began, Foresight rolled her eyes and drank the rest of her coffee. "According to the story of Ipsen he sealed off the way to Terra, we can't get there even if we wanted to."

"But the teleport!" Opinion yelled pointing at the boy.

"It won't work, I checked the machine. I would have to work out a whole new formula in order to by pass the seal. That could take years…"

"We don't have years!"

"Well," Reason said calmly, doing some type of calculations on his device. "Considering how long it took the first time, how much I can already use from what we know already…I'd say it would take eighteen months, more or less."

"Eighteen months?" Order grinned. "We can gather an army by then, a year and half to prepare and another year and a half to conquer! We can do that!"

"I don't think so." Reason began slowly. "Gaia is being protected now by an ancient force. Both Ipsen and our father are there ready to stop an assault. More will be recruited and no army can go against that sort of power. The only way they would allow us on Gaia is if we go to negotiate."

"Nonsense!" Opinion laughed. "Even if that story is true it also says we can do magic. If we master that technique then we can stand against any force Gaia has."

"I very much doubt that. The other army couldn't defeat one eidolon who hadn't even discovered all his power yet. They had magic then and they still lost, how would it be any different if we try again?"

"Because of you." Foresight piped in still gazing at her coffee. "And her." She nudged the coffee cup towards Meaning. "She has the plans and he will make them come true. She has already developed a way to defeat the eidolons." This caused a great murmur to break out across the room. Foresight grinned at the look on Reason's face as he stared at his sister, looking as if he'd been betrayed. Meaning clung to her mother tightly who then glared at the council members.

"Leave my daughter alone you witch." She said coldly. Foresight just grinned and waved her arms about as if casting a spell.

"As leader of this council I demand you tell us how to save our planet!"

"NO!" Meaning screamed tears on her young face. "This planet is already dead! I won't let you hurt Gaia as well!"

"You don't know that! Your brother can freeze it and find another way! Just tell us Meaning, and you can live to see your fourteenth birthday."

"It won't work, Reason won't be able to do it! Leave me alone!" Foresight saw the hurt settle on Reason's features. Poor boy, he didn't know how right she was, yet so wrong.

"Don't be so sure." Foresight said.

"You want him to create a new teleport that can by pass an ancient power _and_ stop time so Terra won't begin rejecting us! You're crazy!" Meaning screamed.

"Just because you have no faith in your brother little girl." Foresight said coldly, all smiles gone. "Maybe you just don't want to admit that your brother is smarter than you!" Apparently though this turned out to be the wrong thing to say. Reason glared openly at the seer and moved closer to his mother and sister.

"Meaning isn't like that, you don't even know how much she has sacrificed for this stupid planet! You and your plans are tearing her apart and I won't let you hurt her!"

"But she could save us Reason!"

"You just want to destroy Gaia! It isn't right!"

"And I won't let you hurt my children!" Kindness butted in, did the woman ever shut up? She was just like her husband. "I would rather die than let you near them!"

_That could be arranged Kindness_ Foresight thought as the family left the council room _then your little angels will be alone, ready to be corrupted._

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"…You know I don't think I'm smarter than you right Reason?" Meaning asked through her tears as she hugged her brother close. They were in their bedroom at home sat on Meaning's bed as she cried her little heart out. Their mother was cooking a meal she knew none of them would eat to give the siblings a moment.

"I know." He said with a laugh stroking her long light hair. Meaning really was the miniature version of their mother as Reason had been their father's. The thought caused his heart to ache. "Don't worry Meaning, I'll protect you from them."

"I don't think you can Reason, they'll be after you the most."

"Then I'll protect you and you can protect your brother." Their said with a smile coming to hug them both. "I'll never let them harm you, no matter what. I will always look out for you, even if I'm not in sight I will always protect you."

"What do you mean mother?"

"Don't worry darling. Now just sleep. I'll see you again."

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"Is she asleep?" His mother asked. Her back was towards her as she faced her dressing table, a silver necklace in her hands.

"Yes." Reason said hesitantly. "But why did you say you'd see her again? Why didn't you just say goodnight?"

"Because I won't see her again tomorrow morning, you have to make sure that she doesn't come in my room. Just take her to school before you come to wake me."

"Okay mother, but I don't…"

"Do you remember when you were five years old Reason? Your father and we went for a picnic by the river? For over ten years I have missed him, wishing he was here to help me understand the path to take. I..I sometimes begin to forget his face and it terrifies me. Lately all I want to do is see him again, make sure I can remember every detail of him. But at the moment all I have of him is a picture…" She opened the locket in her hand to reveal what lay within. On one side there was a photo of Courage and Reason, Courage held up his son in pride, both laughing happily. The image brought a smile to Reason's face. On the other side was a photo of Kindness and Meaning in a similar position as the males on the other side.

"I forget his face too sometimes." Reason whispered gazing longingly at his father's image.

"Then you need this more than me." His mother said with a tear placing the locket around her son's neck.

"Mother, your not going to leave us are you?"

"Not in spirit Reason, I will always be watching over Meaning and you. But I can't protect you from the council. You have to promise me to always listen to your sister and not Foresight. Don't let her techniques fool you in any way."

"Okay mother, I promise."

"Thank you sweetie, now go to bed. And remember how much I love you."

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The stares and harsh whispers directed at them were more frequent than ever before. Last night the word had spread faster than the news of the dying planet. Now the small family were seem as traitors to the entire Terran race.

"Remember Meaning, no one will hurt you, mother is protecting you."

"But why wouldn't you let me wake her Reason?"

"I was afraid of what we'd find."

"What?"

"Don't worry Meaning, you just get through the day and everything will be made clear when you get home."

"Okay," She muttered clutching her moogle. "See you soon then."

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Reason arrived back home an hour before he had to be at college. Yet he already knew he wouldn't be going. He was so afraid. Afraid of what he would find in his mother's room. What would he do if she was gone? Could he really save Terra?

"Please don't be gone." He whimpered shakily. "I can't do this alone, I can't…I can't save anything if I'm alone." The locket around his neck seemed lighter than before, as if one more member had just become a mere image in there. "No…"

He ran to her room no longer hesitant, he needed to see, needed to know. The door flung open. Reason could only stand in shock at what he was greeted with…


	23. corrupting Reason

Okay this is the last Reason/justice chapter then the others come back in again! The next chapter has been written I just have to type it up and change it a little. I still need more characters so please do the quiz! Or…I dunno give me a reason why you want a character in. I need four more people here! If I get them all I can update a lot faster, and I will actually update more now cause I've finished school and don't start college till September although I am trying to do a lot of other things too like find a literacy agent for ghost helpers story and finish my two other original stories. Also I've started writing a final fantasy X-2 fic which I will start posting after this story (although this one still has a long way to go yet) If someone could also tell me the story that Ramuh tells, that hero one, it would help greatly my friend stole the game!

Two other things, first if you're a major fan of final fantasy you can join this cool site where you can be a character from one and role play with others. I've been apart of this site for ages now and its really cool the final fantasy sections have just been restarted so please come and join. ugh, the stupid thing won't let me put the adress on so i'll put it in my bio!

Also I have just read the most amazing trilogy ever! The third part isn't finished yet but it is so cool. If you like the idea of evil Zidane you'll love this story cause the main character is evil a bit like Artmeis Fowl (if you've read it). The order is:

Nyte Shya: Losing the click

Nyte Shya: The invisible Boy

Nyte Shya: Like father like 

They are amazing! search for faeriegumdrops at fictionpress.

Also a special thank you to Shakai for creating the character of Vengeance and Faith who appear in this chapter. Remember you could have a character in too! Anyway on with the chapter

Warning! : Reason is very angry and says some naughty words in this chapter. Rating up slightly because of it.

She looked was peaceful, at rest. But from what he had learnt about the eidolons he knew she would not be properly at peace for a very long time. The curtains were drawn denying the daylight to touch his mother's face one last time. Reason choked back a sob as he walked to her bedside, gazing at her peaceful yet cold form, taking in every detail.

She was dressed in an elegant nightgown and was resting on top of her bed covers. A beautiful natural smile was on her face. Her hair spread out neatly on her pillow. She seemed so much as just being asleep. _Please just be asleep, _he begged hopelessly. But even then, without any light in the room, he could see the thin layer of ice coating every inch of her body.

"Mum?" He whispered through tears, touching her arm gently. It was so cold. So very cold. "Come back." He choked tears streaming down his face. A movement out of the corner of his eye made him spin around, but in the darkness he only caught a glimpse of blond hair before it disappeared. Meaning? No, it was too tall to be her. Reason stumbled away from his mother's body and ran from the room, clutching the locket to his heart and crying himself until there was no more to cry. Why did she leave him? He promised she'd protect Meaning and now she was gone. Why did she leave him alone to face the council? He wasn't strong enough alone, he knew that, she had known it. He couldn't be alone, he just couldn't end up alone.

He wiped away the tears and waited until his breathing began to return to normal. He had to wait a while. Slowly he went into the living room and picked up the telephone, carefully trying to dial the council number but having to make four attempts with his shaking hands.

"Terran Council Office how can I help you?" A perky female voice asked. Reason envied her.

"I-I need to talk to, to talk to…" He began hopelessly, he was shaking all over, the image of his mother still fresh in his mind.

"You okay sweetie?" The woman asked. Sweetie. His mother had called him that, why? He was no sweetie, now that she was gone he knew he would never do anything sweet again.

"I need to talk to Order."

"And who is this, kid?"

"Reason Vantresca." He said weakly. Terran's hardly used second names, but when they did it was for business reasons, important reasons.

"Okay Reason, I'll put him on." There was a long pause that Reason grew to despise. Why did it have to be so quiet? Why couldn't there be cheesy music like everywhere else? "Reason you still there? Order isn't here at the moment dear but I have Miss. Foresight, would you like to speak to her.

_No_ he thought hating the woman for what she had said, what she represented. If it hadn't been for her the council would have listened, if it hadn't been for that…

"Reason?"

"Yeah okay." He said, his voice full of anger. The woman didn't say anything more but put on the hateful woman instead. _I hate you_ Reason thought, _I'll never help you, stupid witch._

"Reason? Hello darling, how are you?" Foresight asked cheerfully. _You know very well how I am stupid whore, otherwise you wouldn't be so cheerful. _"Dear are you there?"

"You know full well I'm here!" Reason spat angrily. "You know everything! You knew that after what you said my mother would die! That's why you said it! How can you live with yourself you…"

"Dear, please don't use foul language. You're upset, I can understand that. But you shouldn't blame other people for what your mother did to you."

"She didn't do anything! You did! She died because of what you said!"

"No dear! She died because she wanted to betray us all! She became an eidolon and nothing I would of said would have changed that. But this way at least she had some dignity to say goodbye to her family. If I hadn't said anything she would have done it anyway and you would be more angry and confused than you are now. Your mother betrayed you, just like your sister will. I just helped her do it better."

"NO! YOU LIAR!"

"She's gone Reason, she protects Gaia now and leaves he family to die on Terra. She hated you, why do you think she will now only watch over Meaning? She knows the threat you are to her, she knows that you can't be like her and join the worthy fight. You have evil in you Reason and that is what will help Terra. You will never be a hero like them, you will never see them again…" The awful voice was cut off when Reason slung the phone across the room, watching it shatter to pieces.

"LIAR!" He screamed letting out a long line of curses that would of shocked most to hear from a seventeen year old. He slumped to the floor again crying once again his whole body shaking from the effort. He blinked in confusion when his grieving was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"W-who's there?" He called standing slowly and heading to the door.

"Reason? It's Order, please open up."

"Why are you here?"

"Foresight told us two hours ago that your mother…we've come to take the body for you." Reason just leaned his head against the door in defeat. Two hours? It had only been ten minutes ago he'd rung. Stupid witch.

"You want to take her?"

"…Um, yes Reason. You don't want Meaning to come home and see her like that do you?" Reason shook his head, unseen by those outside. He slowly opened the door not caring the mess he must look.

"She's in the bedroom."

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_That day was when I first began to understand what Foresight had been planning for me for years and years. She knew that I was the only one in my family worth saving from stupid moral decency. There is no decency in this world or on Gaia, that is what she taught me. Ever since the beginning it's been survival of the fittest, the strong live while the weak die. People don't help the weak to carry on, the strong don't look after the weaker people before themselves. They know they are the future and not the weak people, they know what must be done for the greater good._

Foresight is one of those strong people, she always has been. When I was eighteen I began to see her as my mother rather than that traitor. She taught me everything worth knowing, she showed me I too was one of the stronger people and my family were weak. They were weak because they allowed themselves to be dragged down by the weak. There was no way they could win against the strong, that is what she taught me.

But even then when she told me these things I resisted the truth, I didn't want to believe what she said about Meaning was true. She had told me on the phone that she would betray me too, but I wouldn't believe it. Even though I knew the woman saw the future I convinced myself she was wrong. Meaning would never betray me like mother did. I don't mean because of siding with the Gaians, that's just what I told Foresight. I didn't care about that, after all when I was young I thought it was the best to do. It was the fact they left me that made me see their betrayal.

Ever since I was little I have been afraid of loneliness, when my father was still there I used to crawl into my parents room every night. I was too afraid to be in a room alone for more than a moment, I still am. I know this doesn't sound much like a leader but it's just how I've always been. The thought of being alone terrified me more than death. When my father left us I stayed with my mother, and then I shared a room with Meaning even though there was a spare room. Meaning never complained, even when she got older. I had never told her outright about my fear of being alone, but she knew anyway. I was suppose to be the one looking after her, I was the big brother, yet she used to help just as much, maybe even more. Do you blame me for not wanting to believe it? During those days of emotions it was the best feeling in the world.

But then that day when my mother died…I was alone for the first time in my life. Not just in a room, but in a house, in a street, in my heart.

Usually after I took Meaning to school mother would be home waiting for me until I went to college. The streets were always full and I didn't feel lonely. But that day everyone avoided us like the plague, the whispers and accusing glares made me feel lonelier than if it were empty. I was an outcast, a lonely outcast. But at least then I had Meaning there.

When I got home I was alone for the first time in my life, because a corpse is not a person, it doesn't count. At first I felt something there with me, whether it was my mother's spirit or the person with blond hair I don't know. But then I was alone. Truly alone.

She told me Meaning would betray me and I knew what that meant, she meant Meaning would leave too, sacrifice herself, die and leave me all alone. I didn't want to be alone, I didn't want to believe that there would be no one there for me. That I would come home to an empty house and sleep in my on room alone. I would have no one to comfort or be comforted by. No one for me to help or to help me. No one. No one to love or love me. I didn't want that. To be unwanted, uncared for, not needed. But when I sat in that house alone I began to realise it was really going to happen. I was going to be alone and I couldn't stop it.

That didn't stop me from trying though, for a whole year I fought it. But then it came anyway, I was alone at eighteen with no one to care about me except my abilities. Meaning had left me and a war of Terra was still raging with me being the only one to stop it. It was the perfect time for Foresight to introduce her solution of ending emotions. I welcomed it after that and haven't regretted it.

I suppose I better explain what happened in that year of expectance and denial, the reason I accepted the end of emotion after it. In that year I lost what innocence I had left, I lost moral reasons and the good side of me. I know that, I accept it now, but back then…

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Back then the seasons and weather was different to that on Gaia. On Gaia certain continents stayed that certain season and didn't change. On Terra before the time stop the seasons changed on all four continents. It was the middle of Autumn when Kindness died, the perfect weather for a funeral. The leaves has all fallen and littered the ground, people stood on them carelessly as they marched behind the coffin. Meaning and Reason didn't even notice as the rain began to threaten with first a few drops, then a full heavy pelting.

Through the service Reason had been unable to move, unable to cry anymore. Meaning had said a beautiful speech but when it was his turn he couldn't even stand up. The minister said he understood what it must feel like. How could he? Had he been betrayed by his mother? The locket around Reason's neck had felt heavy throughout the service. Now as they stumbled behind the coffin to the grave he didn't even notice the heavy weight, he was just empty.

"Reason?" Meaning asked grabbing her brothers eyes. Reason flickered his gaze towards her, noticing everyone staring at him. He didn't even care anymore what they thought. "It's time to throw the rose in." She said softly. He gazed around him and realised everyone had dropped their roses on the coffin already, his was still clutched in his hand. Why? Why throw in the rose as a sign of respect when she chose to leave them? Did she deserve it?

This rose was more than that, it was a sign of forgiveness for what she had done. He knew that, Meaning knew that, but could he forgive her?

"Reason…" Meaning began, tears filling her eyes. She knew, she already knew what he'd chose. Meaning and his mother had always believed in doing the right thing. The better way was for the greater good. Terra had less of a future than Gaia therefore Gaia should be the one to live on. Kindness' decision meant for the greater good of Gaia or for the greater good of the last few years of her family's life. To save two souls or millions, that had been her choice. Yet Reason couldn't believe she had chosen the latter. And he hated her for it. Him and Meaning would suffer because of it.

The rose dropped from his fingers to the soaked ground, Reason stood on it viciously before turning and walking away in the pouring rain. Nearby Foresight smiled happily, the boy was already beginning to change…

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"Why am I here?" Reason scowled at the old seer. "I need to get back to my class."

"We both know that you don't need that class Reason, you already know everything they teach you." Foresight said with a full smile. Reason just glared at her.

"I still need my qualifications."

"Why? Our world is going to kill us in three years time. Anyway you do not need qualifications in order to be out in a high position, you have already proved to us you are our last hope."

"I don't want to be in a high position." Reason told her with a sigh. "I want to save my planet without you trying to destroy another. I don't want to be your tool! I want to go to college to get away from you bastards!" He yelled. It had been a month since his mother's death and his mood seemed to only get worse each day. The only person who could delay it for a second was Meaning, but still the feeling she would soon betray him made him more distant from her than ever before.

"Well you really don't have much choice in the matter Reason. You and your sister are now seen as traitors because of your mother. Do you want to spent the rest of your days being hated? Or do you want to help save it?"

"I don't want to save it if it means you get what you want."

"Reason, all we want is you. Anyway the council is willing to come to a negotiation."

"And what kind of negotiation is that?" Foresight just smiled teasingly and shoved a piece of paper at the angry teenager. "What's this?"

"A contract done by the council members. They are willing to make you a member in place of your mother and negotiate with you what will be done about Gaia. It's good pay, good equipment and you will have all that you need to help save Terra." Foresight said waving the paper in front of Reason's face. "You will restore your family honour this way Reason, I wouldn't pass it up." Reason sighed and carefully took the paper reading it carefully. "All you have to do is sign."

"This three year contract will ensure you will be tied to the council for that amount of time." Reason read dully. "Although we will negotiate the involvement of the planet Gaia it is not guaranteed we will come to your way of agreement. However even if this is the case signing this would mean you would still have to be part of the council's plans even if it involves the destruction of Gaia."

"Reason, just sign it." Foresight said with annoyance in her voice. Reason glared at her and looked at the paper hesitantly. Become a slave of the council, become a monster. It was either that or become an outcast and be hated for the rest of their short lives.

Reason sighed clutching at the pendant around his neck. Foresight noticed this and frowned. Reason glared at her, the neclace grew lighter as her frown increased. She couldn't be trusted, she was enough to stir the souls of the dead. Carefully Reason folded the contract neatly, opened it up again and tore it cleanly down the middle. Foresight's mouth shot open in amazement. Reason smiled and continued to neatly rip up the contract before handing it back to the woman.

"I will not be your tool, especially yours!" He spat and walked off. Foresight growled and a look of pure anger crossed her face. This boy was more of a challenge than she'd thought, she wouldn't underestimate him again. Sooner or later he would be under her control.

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Vengeance had just been celebrating his nineteenth birthday on the day Terra was told about the council's plans for Gaia. It was not a fun birthday. First he heard the Terra would easily be saved and then he heard that one of the most respected family had become traitors and caused their chances of survival to plunge. Something about moral reasons. Vengeance could understand that but he was angry they had decided the fate of their world without thinking of what everyone else wanted.

He had spent this last year in the army and he planned to spend the last three in it too. His childhood friend Faith had joined with him. They were inseparable, feeling more like brothers than mere friends, brothers that actually got on with each other.

It had been about two months since the announcement was made and riots had begun to start all throughout Terra. Angry and scared people were forming their own army ready to charge at the council who they blamed all on. Vengeance and Faith along with the rest of the Terran army were being called on to protect the council members.

"I can't believe this is happening." Vengeance muttered as him and Faith stood outside the council building with their weapons. Both had been ordered to use guns, which neither were very fond of but were an expert with.

"Tell me about it." Faith muttered glancing at his childhood friend. Vengeance was by far the tallest of the two, probably one of the tallest people Faith knew. His hair was such a light blond he often thought it was better to describe as silver. Although Vengeance usually appeared serious and uncaring Faith knew differently. When they were kids he had been much more open, but with the growing anxiety for the planet's status he had grown to appear more cold, the perfect soldier. When out of the public eye however he was like any normal teenager.

The two friends were closer than anyone else would believe despite their complete opposites. Vengeance was tall and fair where as faith was short and dark. However both seemed to have similar eyes, Faith's were light green while Vengeance's were dark.

"We should be allowed to use our own weapons." Vengeance muttered glaring at the gun in his hands. "Guns will cause more riot amongst the rebels."

"Tell that to them." Faith said with a hopeful smile indicating towards the council entrance. "They're just too concerned with meetings about that poor kid."

"Poor kid? He's a traitor."

"Maybe, but he has more moral than any of us do." The conversation came to an end when the woman council member came up to them in order to enter the building. Faith didn't trust this woman, she was the type to bend everything to her liking no matter what the consequences. "Good day Miss." Faith said politely with a smile. Vengeance just stared blankly at the woman who flashed her pass at them with a smirk.

"So you're the best on offer huh?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Faith saw his friend begin to glare. "A couple of kids?"

"We have been trained with the best professionals and already faced conflict." Faith said in defence. Foresight continued to glare at both of them.

"Just make sure you do your jobs or I will personally make sure you pay." With that she brushed past the two friends. Silence reigned between them.

"Watch out for that one Faith." His friend muttered to him. "I have a hunch she would intend to stick to that promise."

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Meaning swan in the beautiful water desperately trying to clear her mind of the anxiety for her brother. It was six months since their mother had moved on and she could feel his defence against the council weakening more each day. More than ever she wished she could knock some sense into him and forget about Gaia. But like her mother she knew that the greater good had to be for the greater number, even if it meant leaving her brother.

"I wish I could help him too." Meaning told her moogle once she had finally stopped her swimming and sat at the bank. "I wish I could stop him from falling into their trap, make sure he never has to become their pawn so I know he'll one day find himself again. I…I don't want him to hate me." Tears came to the young girl's eyes, tears she had to always hold back these days.

"_Please don't be sad Meaning._" A voice spoke out nearby. Meaning gasped and jumped to her feet looking around.

"Who's there?" She asked with a sniff.

"_In the moogle._" The voice said with a hint of a chuckle. Meaning frowned and looked down at her creation. "_You have already heard of me before Meaning, deep down you already knew I would come for you._"

"…Ipsen?"

"_Yes. You have been chosen to be an eidolon Meaning._" Meaning smiled sadly at this news.

"Well, I guess I had already realised that you might chose me. My mother used to say me and her had the same beliefs and it would enable us to meet each other again some day. But… do I have to go now?"

"_Yes Meaning, now is your time to leave this life._" Meaning felt her eyes well up with tears again. She turned away from the moogle and looked fondly around her at the place she had grown up in. Just beyond the river bank she could see her house with Reason out in front, too scared to go in alone. She smiled fondly at her brother, his black fringe getting in his eyes while he poured over a design for stopping time. His young face frowned in concentration and his dark brown eyes scanned over the paper greedily. He wasn't an evil person, he was her brother. Just a scientist who wanted to help his planet with what he knew. Why couldn't she be like that? Why were her inventions more likely to end Gaia rather than help?

"…I can't." She whispered not taking her eyes off her brother in the distance. "I can't leave him yet, there might still be a chance for him."

"_There is no chance to save him Meaning, not in this lifetime. But if you do come with me it will eventually help save his soul._"

"But if I leave he will have no one! He's afraid of being alone, he won't even be in a room alone most of the time. If I leave he will give in faster and then they might have time to use him for their needs."

"_..I see your point. Maybe we should wait to see what happens next first. Wait till we know he can't be saved or if the council will change their view._"

"Yeah, let's wait. Just a little longer."

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Vengeance shouted over the angry crowd gathered outside the council building.

"This rebellion is useless! We will not allow access to you! This council has tried it's hardest to protect this planet and this is how you award them?" The crowd just grew angrier at this and tried to barge through their defences. Vengeance aimed his gun causing them to back down. "I will fire if I have to!"

"Vengeance!" Faith called over the noise. "There's too many, we can't hold them off!"

"I know." Vengeance whispered in his ear. "But we can scare them enough until backup comes. Maybe if we fire at a leg or something they will leave." Faith could only shake his head.

"Vengeance, I won't hurt any innocent people here!" He yelled causing those around to grin. Vengeance glared at his best friend and shook his head in defeat.

"It's your job Faith!"

"I won't turn into those we're protecting Vengeance! Please don't make me regret our friendship by turning on me for your job." The two stared at each other, both as determined. The crowd was growing more violent pushing through the barriers and beginning to charge at the door. Vengeance glanced up at them and stared back at his friend. Faith was always the moral one, but why now? "Please Vengeance, please do this for me."

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Three months had passed since Ipsen had first come to Meaning, now she and her brother had heard the news of the rebellion group storming the council building. Apparently two army guards had been stationed but had failed to stop the group breaking through the defences. Both the member Opinion and the leader of the council, Order, had been killed.

The news stunned most of Terra but Meaning couldn't help feel uplifted by the news. Two council members dead, they were weakening, maybe now their grip on her brother would weaken too. Her thoughts were interrupted when a giant birthday cake came into her view.

"Happy birthday Meaning." Reason said with a smile, a smile she rarely saw these days. She giggled and hugged him gratefully. Maybe things were really going to work out.

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"Why did you let them break through the barriers?" Vengeance asked in a low whisper. They were in the apartment they shared and Faith was changing out of his uniform while Vengeance had a conversation with him through the door.

"Because they deserved the chance to do it." Faith murmured through the door. Vengeance gripped his own hair with frustration.

"We had a job to do! Our job requires us to be unbiased, uninvolved. We guard those we're suppose to no matter who they are or what they've done!"

"What's happened to you Vengeance? Ever since we joined the army you've been different, you've changed so much. I know we have to so only what we're told most of the time, but this isn't most of the time! Our planet is in chaos, in panic. They need to have some sort of satisfaction over the fear they are feeling. They needed this today. They needed to know that the council are just normal Terran's too and they should have as much a choice about our future as the council do." Faith's words caused Vengeance to sigh. What had happened? Life after the truth, that's what.

When they were younger Vengeance and Faith had promised to stay together forever, just like real brothers would. Back then they hadn't known everything about their planet's condition. But now it weighed down on the two constantly. Faith was worried more about the moral of it all, Vengeance wanted to survive and not think about what was to happen too much. This he achieved by sticking only to his assigned duties, but then his friend was always there to remind him. That's why he was such a good friend, he let him know it was okay to be scared.

"It's all very noble to show them that Faith, but it will never happen now. The Vantresca family and the council have already seen to that."

"Maybe not quite yet." Faith said coming out of his room dressed in casual clothes. "There's a rumour Reason Vantresca is working on a way to save Terra that won't have to involve Gaia for as long as we don't want it to be."

"Well the council have been after that boy since his mother died nine months ago, they'll get him eventually and then that plan will be down the drain." Vengeance pointed out as he and Faith went to the kitchen for some late lunch.

"There's another thing I heard from a guard at the council building." Faith began with a mouthful of meat. "That the woman Foresight already tried to get him to sign a contract and he ripped it up in front of her.

"Brave kid." Vengeance chuckled.

"Yeah, and he just might keep it up. I let them go past into that building in order to give the kid a chance. I was hoping they would have gotten Foresight, but she would have seen it coming."

"Faith you idiot! Don't you remember what she said? Personally make sure we pay doesn't sound like she's going to show up and thank us for letting that group kill two council members!"

"I don't care, just as long as they got that chance."

"Dammit Faith! Why can't you be reasonable for once! Ever since I've known you I had to make sure you didn't do something stupid like this! You're going to get yourself killed one day!"

"At least I believe in something Vengeance! At least I care enough to want to risk my life for my planet!" With that he stormed out of the apartment furious with his shutoff friend. Neither realised that his life was at great risk right then, neither realised they would never see each other again.

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"Are you sure about this Reason?" Meaning asked, looking at her brother's new outfit in distaste. Reason had brought her on a shopping trip for her birthday so both of them could treat themselves for once. Meaning had been ordered to buy about five outfits by her brother, each was beautiful with bright colours. Reason's new and only outfit he'd chosen for himself was the complete opposite.

"Yeah, I like it." He said with a smile that sent a chill running through Meaning.

"But it's black, mother never liked black." A frown crossed Reason's features, his mood matching his clothes.

"Yeah well she left us so I think we can wear whatever we want now." He turned back to the mirror and looked himself over with a smirk. It was definitely different, if his old classmates could see him now they would think twice about messing with him.

He wore a tight black sleeveless top which made him realise just how much he needed to get bigger muscles. He wore a black jacket with zips, two breast pockets and a hood lined with fur. The pants were tight fitting leather that made Meaning cringe. His feet wear now protected by black boots with spikes all around the bottom. The same design was on his new fingerless gloves too. Meaning saw a hungry look in her brother's eyes as he gazed at his reflection. He wanted power, she could tell, he wanted revenge on what he'd been put through. This outfit represented the beginning of him giving in. The riots on the council had only made him think they had become weaker and if he became apart of it now he would be in control.

"Don't do this Reason." She whispered with unshed tears. Reason just stared at her blankly.

"But I like it, it's my choice Meaning."

_Yes it is your choice, but I just hoped you wouldn't chose the wrong one._

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Faith sat at the small deserted bar nursing a strong drink. He hadn't argued like that with Vengeance before, never in their whole time together. How was he suppose to patch things up now after what had been said?

_They'll be a way _he told himself confidently _we've known each other too long to throw our friendship away over one disagreement._ He paid the bartender and climbed to his feet feeling more determined to set things straight with his friend. These last years had been tough on them both and they were just showing it in different ways.

"Leaving so soon?" A teasing voice asked amongst the shadows of the building. "And I was just about to make my move as well." It whined. The voice was obviously females, one Faith recognised instantly, one he had been dreading to hear.

"And what move would that be Miss. Foresight? Have you come to fulfil your promise?" Foresight grinned wrapping her arm lightly around his and steering him out of the back door into the deserted alley.

"Naturally Faith, after all you let those rebellions in and they killed a member of the council AND its leader."

"Yet you already knew that would happen, even that day you warned us you knew. So why didn't you replace us? Why did you want Order and Opinion to die?"

"Because they would have only complicated things. Without them there is a greater chance Reason will become part of the council." She let go of his arm and didn't bother to hide the knife she drew out from her belt.

"So you killed them in order to manipulate a young boy? What will that accomplish?"

"The moment he heard what happened was the moment he began to give in. He thinks without Order he would be in control of the council, not the other way round. He's too young to understand what I am capable of. But either way because of you and your friend he will be used for my needs. He will help save Terra and destroy Gaia." She muttered darkly raising the knife.

"_But in return it will enable the survival of millions later on. And you have helped that, because Vengeance will protect Gaia through his revenge for you._" A voice said in Faith's head just as the knife swung down on him…

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Vengeance just stared at the man in front of him unable to understand what he'd just said.

"W-what?" He said shakily tears filling his eyes. His grip of his cup tightened.

"I'm sorry Vengeance, we found him in an alley where he'd been brutally murdered. It was probably a rebel or something. I'm so sorry." Vengeance just continued to stare as the man exited his apartment, only his now. The cup slipped from his grasp as he let out an angry grief filled roar. _Not Faith, please not Faith._

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Foresight raised an amused eyebrow at the new outfit Reason was now encased in. the boy really did have quite an epiphany.

"What do you want?" He asked lazily while examined his gloved hands, obviously he was trying to point out the spikes, how cute. A boy trying to intimidate her, he must have grown some guts as well.

"I thought that would be obvious dear. With Order and yet another council member needing to be replaced the position for council leader is open. I want someone worthy enough to fill in the position."

"I'm not stupid Foresight, I know you're just trying to manipulate me still. But I can not be so easily wielded." Ah, so that's what the outfit was for. He wanted to prove he was a big boy now, he was making a statement of war between him and her.

"Then it will not matter if you become leader. I will try to wield you Reason and I will win, but if you think otherwise you have nothing to worry about do you? As long as your precious sister is with you I can't touch you." That part was true, but already the girl was realising she'd have to leave, he didn't need to know that though. She watched him closely already able to tell what was running through his predictable brain. He would have power and he'd be able to decide the fate of Terra and Gaia. He could make his sister proud and disallow the attack on Terra. But then there was the uncertainty that his sister would leave one day, what then?

"Don't worry about the pain you will face Reason. You will have heard the project we've been working on here. To rid emotions so only a professional view can be made. I can make you not care once she leaves. You will become fearless. Powerful and fearless."

"I don't want to be alone, I don't want power."

"I know dear, but you will be alone anyway. I can make you not care about it. You will be fine, you won't fear life or what comes after." Already she knew she had won, but she waited anyway for his little nod. "This is a new contract stating you are the new council leader and that you have complete control. All you have to do is…"

The door burst open then and the two of them were greeted with the sight of Vengeance holding an axe high above his head. Reason's eyes widened in terror showing his new outfit hadn't changed his courage level. Foresight just rolled her eyes before plastering a smile on her face.

"Nice of you to come Vengeance, I was wondering when you'd show up to try and avenge your little friend." _Idiot boy why did he have to come now when I was so close! _Foresight growled within. Now she'd have to wait some more precious months before Reason would want to join the council for good.

"You didn't have to kill him you witch! You could have left him alone."

"Vengeance someone had to pay for the death's of the council members and I wasn't about to let it be me."

"But you planned it! You planned it in that twisted brain of yours!"

"Well…that can just be our little secret." She said with a smile raising her finger to her lips. "I needed Reason to be leader by any means necessary." Reason glared at her then and stood exiting the room, but not before his traditional tearing of the contract. She hated kids.

"You'll never be able to use that kid, he's too smart for that."

"Kid? He's only a year and a half younger than you Vengeance and anyway he may be smart but he fears being alone. Fear can drive you to many dumb things, just like your friend." Foresight said casually.

"How dare you!" Vengeance burst swinging the axe at her, however it was met with a magic barrier she had created. Vengeance could only stare in shock. "What the..?"

"Did you really think you could come here and kill me? I can see all possibilities for the future and in every one that I killed your friend you came to avenge him. In every one you failed. Our souls contain the ability of magic but I am the only on who has unlocked it. I always get what I want Vengeance, I will get Reason and you and your friend's death will have been worthless!"

"_Not completely worthless Foresight, and you know it._" Foresight jumped to her feet and looked around the room. Vengeance was just stood as if he were listening to a voice she couldn't hear. Impossible! How could he hear something she couldn't? How could something be happening without her seeing it. "_He is one of my chosen, just like Kindness and Meaning. One day they will help end you. Vengeance has been made through revenge, but he will not have his revenge on you yet. One day he will get it._" Foresight screamed in rage as she watched Vengeance crumble to the floor. Dead.

"Ipsen you bastard! He was mine!"

"_You lose this round Foresight, and you will lose the last._"

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_That day when I left Foresight with the angry man was when I first realised she was really going to win. How could she not when she had such a cold heart and knew exactly how to bend the future to how she wanted it? I went home to an empty house and forced myself to stay there. I had created a new image of myself and I wanted to make it real, and that meant a had to get over my stupid phobia of being alone._

I was so afraid yet I made myself stay there. I thought of my father, my mother, of Meaning. I thought of myself, the biggest mystery to me now. What had I let myself become over these past nine months? Was I good or bad? Was I destined to just be a tool or would I later be more again?

I went and stared at myself in the mirror again. I gazed at the clothes and the hardened expression I had been wearing for nearly a year, I stood there and looked for Reason. I never found him, not the whole two hours of searching for me. I didn't know who I was but Reason had already begun slipping away, hidden beneath the new layers of anger and confusion. And that's when I realised it, something I had been unable to see my whole life.

It wasn't being alone I was so afraid of, it was being alone with me. This other side of me I didn't know. I was afraid when I was alone because it's when I could see him growing clearly. It's when I realised one day I would no longer fear the loneliness because I would become him. I fear the loneliness and he doesn't. Once the day comes that I don't fear it I will know I am no longer Reason. I will him. Justice. The one who cares for nothing, who fears nothing. The one who will be forever alone.

I had never been more thankful to feel so terrified, I knew for just a little while I was still myself. But I also knew I was less afraid of the emptiness than I had been. That's how I knew Foresight would win. The psychic wouldn't have even had to tell me anymore. I could feel it, and it didn't even scare me to know it.

I had just wished to cling onto that fear for longer. I was weak and wanted to remain terrified of the power in front of me. Now that I look back I don't regret the change that came over me, yet for some reason I don't regret the person I once was. Just between you and me I miss him sometimes, but then I guess everyone would miss their first shell. That part of me is over now and I can never return, Reason was my innocence and I have long been dirtied with the world, both of them in fact.

The greatest gift of that innocence I had as Reason was the emotions. I loved life back then even in the days I knew it was going to end. Meaning was there with me and she reminded me what innocence was, once she had gone I lost reason too. Innocence can't be reclaimed once it has gone, everyone knows that.

I bid farewell to innocence and Reason the day Meaning had bid farewell to me. She had known I was beginning to reconsider my actions, she knew I was already under the council's control. I had felt the tug at my heart when Foresight had started her spells but I hadn't realised what it was. As soon as she had dealt with the two guards she had begun to corrupt my soul.

We knew from the story of my father and Ipsen that all Terran's contained magic. Well Foresight also contained a much stronger powerful gift. My father may have been the first magic soul but Foresight was definitely the strongest. She had the power of sight and the power to bend souls to her will. My soul was no exception, and she wanted it bent into a shape that she saw fit. Over the next three months I later realised she had added the uncertainty into my soul that caused me to reconsider. She was the one who made Meaning realise she must leave Terra and be an eidolon. Back then I didn't realise it and when I finally learnt the truth I didn't care anymore. I guess if I had emotions it would be different. But I don't, my soul has been corrupted too much for emotions.

In that year I had fought for my soul, for my innocence I knew could not last. I fought for Reason. But I am Justice now, I always was underneath. Foresight corrupted Reason and I am the result. I know it was for the best, I do. But even with a unbiased view that I have now I have to ask, was it all worth it? With what happened after I became Justice, was it really worth anything?

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"…So it turns out that the way to rid emotions completely isn't by building a machine. What Foresight has found out is you have to bury them within the person's soul so deep that they can't access them again. She's done it to all the remaining council members so that they can look at the situation without emotions getting in the way…Are you listening Meaning?" Meaning looked up at her brother and stopped playing about with her moogle.

"It sounds awful, you aren't going to have it done are you?"

"Nope, I refused to be their council leader and I will again until they get bored of asking." Meaning smiled slightly at that.

"I'm glad, I wouldn't want anyone to mess with your soul Reason."

"Me neither, although I would be interesting to see what having no emotions is like. I mean, you wouldn't ever get hurt again."

"But you wouldn't feel love or happiness either!" She shouted desperately gazing at her brother who just shrugged.

"I know that, but it would still be interesting to feel it." Meaning gazed at her brother with disbelief, he had changed so much. Maybe Foresight really had gotten to his soul like Ipsen kept telling her.

"_It's too late for him now Meaning, but If you leave you can help his soul later on._" A single tera rolled down her cheek, he was right, she had to die now.

"Are you okay Meaning?" Reason asked slightly concerned.

"Mother died a year ago today Reason, I miss her." Her brother scoffed at her.

"Well you shouldn't, she left us remember?"

"Reason? Can you promise me something?"

"I won't cry for her if that's what you want." He said moodily.

"It's not that…promise me you'll never hurt a moogle for as long as you soul lives."

"That's a weird promise to want. Why?"

"Will you promise? It's important to me."

"Sure I promise. Now can you go take a swim or something, I'm trying to concentrate."

"Okay, goodbye Reason. I love you."

"Yeah whatever. Now go away."

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She stood at the water's edge watched as her last tears splashed on the water and joined it's never ending cycle. At least she would not have to be here to see the river stop, at least she wouldn't be here for her brother's death. She gazed down at her moogle once last time and stroked it. She smiled one last time as it flew up in the air and caused the pompon to bounce about.

"_It's time Reason._" Ipsen said softly as Meaning stepped further into the river. She glanced one more time at her brother in the distance who had a grin on his face as if he'd finally figured his experiment out.

"Goodbye."

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Foresight sat with a bored look on her face as she listened to the blank idiots of the council tried to decide the solution to convincing Reason to be their leader. They were impossibly more annoying then they had been with emotions, at least then the arguments would have been interesting.

"We could kill his sister Meaning." One dummy suggested with a blank face. "Then all attachments will be severed and he will want to rid himself of emotions." Foresight was just about to tell him what she thought of that stupid idea when she felt a huge shift in future probabilities. She grinned and laughed slightly, the blank council just stared at her.

"We don't even need to kill her, she's just ended her life to become an eidolon. Now Reason will definitely join our little club." Hopefully an eighteen year old dummy would be more interesting than these idiots. At least Reason had a brain she could play with.

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Reason looked up from his plans with a grin on his face. He had done it! He'd found a way to break the seal on the Terran side! Now they could communicate with the Gaian's and work out a way around destroying it!

"Meaning I've done it! Meaning!" He laughed running towards the river. He soon stopped dead at the sight he was greeted with. "No, not again!" He yelled running into the river and reaching his sister's body. "Meaning?" He cried choking with emotion. He slowly pulled her body to the shore turned her around so he could see her face. Just like his mother's had been she looked peaceful. Her small body looked so fragile and perfect, too perfect to belong to this world. "Don't leave me alone, don't want to be alone." He sobbed gently. He felt a hand on his shoulder and peered up to see Foresight. He couldn't feel angry at her anymore, he just felt pain from lose.

"I'm sorry Reason, you don't know how much I wish I had been wrong about her." Reason wasn't even listening to her. He just stared at his sister's form silently wishing her soul luck on her journey.

"I love you, good luck." He told her still form while giving her one last kiss on the cheek. He turned to Foresight reluctantly. "I don't want to hurt anymore. I want to be the council leader." She merely nodded giving him a brief hug that sent a sting of pain to his heart. He gasped slightly.

"Don't fight it Reason. This time tomorrow you will be rid of emotions, until then I'm afraid I can't help you with your guilt. Please go get some rest, we will take care of the body." Reason just nodded and made his way to his house, the lonely empty house. As he gazed back at the river he could of sworn he'd seen a man with blonde hair near the body, the same man he'd seen when his mother had died.

He sat in their room crying as he had for his mother, soon he would become what he'd feared so long and he was scared. He was scared of not being scared, of not caring about Meaning's death. It was too late now though, he couldn't turn back. A noise startled him but he relaxed when he realised it was the moogle. It stood in the corner of the room trying to lift a floorboard. Reason frowned and went over to help it. Under the floor he found pages of plans Meaning had done. He gazed at them with amazement.

"Gemones?" He muttered gazing at the designs and formulas, so this was what she'd been hiding. He flipped through the pages but stopped when his attention was demanded by one certain design. "A ship that can control the cycle of souls?"

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"Kupo, stop reading Kupo!"

"Huh?" Zidane muttered looking up from the diary. "Why?"

"Because it's rude to take isn't yours." Justice said from behind him.

Don't worry that was the last Reason/Justice chapter. You'll find out what happened later on in the story as it goes along. I know, I'm evil Reviews are nice, with reviews I'll consider putting it in sooner when Reason tells someone his story. Not saying who, lol.


	24. an ancient ally

First thing the stupid link wouldn't go up on the last notes so if you want to join Marty's RP site the link is in my bio. This chapter isn't very good but it's a fill in gap chapter so it never really would be very exciting. Next one should be better, has lots in it

Just to make this clear Zidane didn't get to find out the end of Reason/Justice's story cause the diary was taken from him before he could finish. However Dagger and co saw it all on the screen thingy so they know what happened and will give clues and such. Some Zidane in here, some Mikoto/Reason/Justice, and some from Dagger. And a tiny bit of Ipsen so enjoy!

Okay just need to thanks to terraguy for pointing out my stupid mistake cause I put 'you would have made wait the terran' for some odd reason. So thank you! I'm not offended I'm offende with myself for not noticing, lol! Next time I'll acutally read it through.

"…That's so awful." Dagger breathed, her hands covered her mouth slightly. "No wonder he turned out that way."

"Yes, well as heart breaking as Reason's story he still is the enemy who has my brother. We need to stop him, maybe even kill him if it comes to it." Dagger just nodded not at all liking the idea.

"Let's get going then." She said firmly and concentrated on summoning Bahamut…nothing happened.

"What happened to the eidolons?" Eiko demanded fearfully. "Did Justice..?"

"No, he stopped Justice before he finished destroying them. But as a result they did become unreachable to us. We have to recruit them again, one by one, with his help."

"Who?"

"You will know soon enough."

"Forget about that!" Dagger burst in. "We need to reach Zidane, we need to find him."

"And we will, but we need _him_ to transport us there." Kuja pointed out.

"So where do we find him?" Dagger said more calmly, she had to learn to be more calm about Zidane. She had already been trying so hard, but it was so hard without him. Seeing what happened to Reason after his family left him he scared her.

"At his castle."

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"I admire you courage vessel, not many would dare to steal from me." Justice said coldly in fluent ancient Terran. Zidane glared at him as he watched his own sister's lips form the words, she shouldn't be used this way by him. Zidane held up his head in defiance glaring openly into Justice's eyes. He reminded himself that this was his enemy, not Reason, as he felt Justice peel the diary from his grasp. He had his sister in an unthinkable prison, if it came to it he would have to face him, maybe kill him. But right now he had Mikoto so he let the diary loose and decided to stop wondering how Reason was transformed into this monster. He watched Justice glance at the open page with a blank look. "I take it you had help from these annoying creatures considering how you can barely stand." Zidane didn't answer him, instead his gaze wavered to see a moogle standing close to Justice's feet. He didn't recognise it as one from Madain Sari. "I should kill them for that."

"Yet you won't." Zidane challenged confidently making Justice smirk.

"You think you know me just because you read about my past, vessel? You are very wrong. I am no longer held down with emotions over Meaning or anyone else for that matter." Zidane smirked at the amount of defence in Mikoto's voice, guess he wasn't completely emotionless.

"Yes you are." Zidane accused, his smirk becoming a genuine smile. Maybe his little sister had something to do with the emotion he had, none of the Terran's had any.

"And how do you figure that?" Justice asked with a slight childish tone, this felt weird.

"Three reasons. One, you called her by name. Two, if you were actually going to kill the moogles you would have done so as soon as you got here." A silence followed.

"And the third?" Justice asked sourly. He already knew Zidane had an advantage, Mikoto must have really shaken him up already to be this vulnerable.

"That moogle isn't one of my helpers, it isn't even from Madain Sari, which means it's yours." A heavy silence fell on the two then. Zidane could practically sense the waves of emotion coming from Justice. This terrified him more than anything so far. If the cold unconcerned Justice caused the death of the mass population of a planet what could an angry Justice do?

_Let's just hope Mikoto has some control over him_ Zidane prayed.

"You are brave vessel, but very stupid. What this moogle is will never be a concern for you. I didn't just come here to reclaim my possession, I brought a little gift just for you." Within the child fingers he held a bottle, one that Zidane had come to hate and love equally as much. He gulped hard and shook his head at the bottle offered to him, all confidence gone. He couldn't…

"You know you want to boy." Justice taunted with a hint of glee in Mikoto's eyes. "This true potion will make you strong, it will make you a warrior again. You will be powerful, more than any foe you have ever faced, even more than me. Don't you want that?"

"Yes." Zidane said truthfully beginning to reach out. "And then I could escape, I could help Dagger." All other logic was gone, only seeing Dagger again entered his mind, seeing her and ending her pain that this problem had caused to her.

"Yes , you could. You can end all their suffering and you won. After all those years of searching and wondering you will finally be complete." Zidane looked up for the first time since the bottle had been exposed, he grinned a childish grin. He felt…happy, could he really be complete at last? Was it even possible?

"Complete." Zidane agreed gazing falling back to the bottle with such longing. He roughly snatched it from his sister's hands and greedily undid the top. As he tilted his head to drink he could of sworn he'd seen a look of disappointment in Justice's eyes. _No, must have been something else._ Zidane thought lazily while drinking deeply. He laughed happily as he felt the power begin to surge through him. Finally, he felt like he had found his purpose, his true self. His smile faded slightly as the feeling settled. He wanted more power. He _needed _more power!

"More!" He cried out smashing the bottle on the wall, watching with a grin as blood dripped from his hand to the floor. He thought of destroying the wound and watched with giddiness as it healed with such ease.

"There is plenty more Destruction, plenty." Justice reassured him, his disappointed look was replaced with a not so genuine grin. _What was that guy's problem? First you wants me to drink and then…oh well, his life not mine. _"But it must be done slowly…"

"No! I want it now!" Zidane screamed firing an unknown spell at the Terran. He felt his anger fade slightly when seeing Mikoto's form gasping on the form. This was fun.

"What was that?" He asked the greedy vessel as it began to drink more from the discovered box of true potions. Justice could feel something in him begin to stir and he felt…afraid? How could he be afraid?

"Just a little spell to destroy the barrier stopping the rest of Mikoto's soul reclaiming her body. I also destroyed that little shell in your soul that stored all your pesky emotions. You really won't be able to deny them for much longer." He said casually while playing about with a bottle. "Then this mission will mean nothing to you, just like before. You will feel both the pain of old memories from you and dear Mikoto. Trust me, her life wouldn't have been too fun." The vessel gave a grin and raised the next bottle as a toast before drinking it quickly.

"Y…" Justice grimaced at the sudden wave of regret he'd felt. "You couldn't." He said hopefully.

"I already have! It should begin any minute now, if not already. Mikoto's conscience will combine with your and old emotions will resurface. You, oh great leader, will become human like you once were, not cold and lifeless like your followers."

R_emember me? _A voice called out in his head, he groaned slight already able to feel the girl's smugness over what was going to happen.

"You have destroyed me." Justice accused weakly. "Everything that I am."

"No! I have saved you very soul! And hers along with it, she will share your years physically and sense you as you live. You are bound together for eternity, I have freed you both by imprisoning you together!" He glared down at Mikoto's weak form already able to see her figure begin to age. Justice groaned, it wasn't a nice experience.

"Now if you'll excuse me!" Zidane said loudly in their ear. "I have some serious drinking to do. Go sulk somewhere else."

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Eiko stumbled as she dragged her lead like feet on the cracked ground. She groaned in protest of everything that was happening. She felt so empty without the feeling of security her eidolons used to bring for her. She felt more vulnerable, less sure of her strength in battles. It was why she had insisted in not being in the fighting party ahead.

"I want them back." She whined to Kuja. Dagger was in the fighting party with Steiner, Vivi and Freya so she had to complain to someone different. "Can't you be my eidolon until I get them back?" Kuja glared at her and she smiled sweetly.

"I'm not a toy you can call on and neither are the others. You will be fine without them for now, you are strong enough." He didn't look at her as he said this, only looked ahead and watched the battle taking place with a rhino like creature.

"But I feel so…" She said helplessly collapsing to the floor.

"I know, but I won't last forever." He told her softly helping her back to her feet.

"And Zidane?"

"Him too, and maybe w can make a new ally as well. Just be strong Eiko."

"…You sound creepy you know." Kuja laughed at that.

"You'll get used to it." He told her and laughed harder as she groaned at him.

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Justice sank on his bed quivering all over. He could feel her begin to fight with him and already he felt weak and defenceless.

_Don't fight me Reason, _She spoke, her voice soft and understanding. _Let me help you be the person you once was. Let me help save your soul._

"Leave me alone." He said weakly hiding his face behind feminine fingers. "It's not my fault I got your body."

_No, but someone made sure you did, so I can help you. Please let me help you Reason._

"Don't call me that!" He shouted at the wall. "You can't help me, I don't need help! You are just a vessel like the rest! You…you don't mean anything. You are nothing." He said uncertainly.

_If you really believed that you wouldn't have started trying to explore my soul when you received this body. I mean something to you, I intrigue you. _The voice was almost teasing and he couldn't help a smile.

"You flatter yourself Mikoto." He told her while sitting up and tilting his head to one side, a trait he had when he was a kid.

_We'll see Reason. Now let's stop resisting this and get it over with._

"You would have made quite the Terran." He said laughing. For the first time in three thousand and three years he felt a little happy.

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The second oldest Terran soul smiled slightly as he felt their presences grow nearer. Finally he would be summoned back into this world. He'd only been allowed to enter the Gaian world when recruiting the eidolons, even then he had not been granted a proper body. He would either take possession of another object or appear as an illusion.

Now two powerful summoners were coming to his prison, even the gods he worked for couldn't prevent their power. They weren't exactly thrilled with the idea of him being under someone else's control but they knew it would help with their mission.

_It is time _he spoke out, knowing there were the only three who would hear him. Finally he would be able to feel alive again, and then he could soon find the peace he had been yearning for so long. That is, as long as he did not fail this time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dagger gasped slightly as she felt the voice inside her head. She escaped from the battle without a second thought and ran over to Eiko. She was relieved when she noticed Quina take her place in the fight.

"Did you hear that?" She asked the younger summoner who nodded. Kuja nodded his head lazily too.

"You have to summon him now." He told them beginning to move ahead. "I'll keep the others occupied until you've finished." Dagger smiled appreciatively at the man who'd killed her mother. He really was a different person without the destructive soul. And Zidane would soon become a monster with it if she didn't stop them from taking him to Terra.

"Do we summon him like we did Alexander?" Dagger asked uncertainly. She watched as Eiko chewed on her bottom lip in thought.

"I don't know, but I think if we start we'll just know what has to be done." Dagger nodded trusting Eiko's judgement, she was strong and experienced in these things. She kneeled down and joined her hands to hers like they had done over a year ago.

Dagger concentrated hard, on what she wasn't sure, but she could feel something lingering. She felt Eiko's mind near too and knew she was on the right track. Within her mind she began to chant and she heard Eiko echo her words.

_O holy servant hear our prayer_

Your oath to protect us must be fulfilled

O holy servant be broken from your curse

You are needed here before you find eternal rest.

She repeated them over and over, each time more clearly and more demanding until her and Eiko were shouting them out loud. Their crystals were glowing blindingly bright and floating up around their necks. The others stared in amazement but said nothing due to Kuja's glare. Suddenly it stopped and Dagger knelt forward on her hands. In the distance they all saw a bright pure white light overcome Ipsen's castle.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zidane had long finished all the bottles and now sat on the floor steaming in his guilt. How could he give in like that? Dagger was probably out there trying everything to help him and here he was giving in, falling for their stupid tricks.

"I'm sorry Dagger." He whispered trembling with the power he could feel coursing through his veins.

"Look on the bright side, kupo." Monotose said beside him. "At least you got your own, kupo, back on Justice."

"Yeah I guess." Zidane said with a smile. "I just hope Mikoto doesn't kill me when she realised…everything I caused from that spell."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What happened to it?" Vivi asked as he gaped at the castle. It hadn't taken them long to reach it after the explosion of light. Dagger and Eiko seemed to have been drained from the summon but were still able to continue on.

"Now that he has finally been summoned he has begun his real mission. He has restored his castle to it's original glory from before he became the leader of the eidolons." Kuja told them all.

"So where will this King Ipsen be?" Amarant grunted looking rather bored and unimpressed.

"At the very top where he spent most of his free time." Kuja said with a smirk, he watched Eiko's weary head lift up and turn red with fury.

"Stupid castle!" She yelled making Dagger giggle silently. "It turns the right way round again and we still have to climb all the way up!"

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Justice groaned in pain as he felt Mikoto's body begin to grow again. With each memory she pried into, with each year in his memory he grew so did her body.

"What's going on?" He muttered staring at the seventeen year old body slightly embarrassed.

_Our souls are connected, with each year your soul is opened up to my body will grow._ Justice frowned quickly working out the scientific principle this would hold. _Later Reason, now what happened afterwards, I need to find out._

"Can't we just leave it there? I think you should stay seventeen and stop trying to grow up so quickly."

_Being twenty can't be that bad, unless of course, you're embarrassed by sharing this gorwing body with me. _She teased making him roll his eyes. Mikoto wouldn't be able to understand it, it wasn't like her mind was trapped in a male body going through puberty and beyond. Being a girl sucked. There were some things people should never have to experience, and this was one of them. _Think of it as a scientific experience, you will be the only one to go through it._

"Whatever, an experiment can't just be singular otherwise it's just a theory. This will only ever be a theory because I will be the only one to witness the effects."

_Stop complaining and hurry up. _Mikoto muttered darkly causing him to comply. Now he shared everything with her at the moment he knew what her mood could be like. _I'm going to kill Zidane _she muttered darkly in his head. Justice chuckled feeling very sorry for him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stupid ladders." Eiko mumbled. "Stupid castle."

"Would you stop complaining!" Amarant yelled striding off in front towards the elevator.

"No! When we find this stupid Ipsen I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!"

"I don't think you could spare any of it." Amarant mutter under his breath as they all squeezed into the elevator. It rode up with a groan of protest from the amount of people but eventually it reached its destination room. They stepped out and looked around. It was empty.

"So who's gonna go up the nest set of ladders to get him?" Eiko asked grumpily.

"There is no need for that young summoner." A voice said from behind them. "There is no time for me to shy away fro my responsibilities any longer."

__

Next chapter could be a while cause it will be long and complicated to write. I'm going to France for two weeks soon, I'll try to get it up before then but can't make any promises. Still looking for characters for eidolons! Please send in ideas!


	25. Mikoto Vs Reason

Yes, I am alive. I am so sorry! I had an awful case of writer's block for this fic and a really good idea for an ffX-2 fic. Now finally when I'm on the thirteenth chapter of that fic I have ideas flowing again for this one! This chapter isn't very long but the next one is (already written but I just have to type it up, same with the one after that, lol). I will make no promises about regular updates but I am gonna try.

Before I let you read just wanna advertise for a friend. He's written this really good ff9 fic and no ones reviewing it even when its good! It has everything, action, romance, humour. Please go and read! It's **Neo Genesis Project** by **DarkMessenger-2005.**

Anyway here we go! His chapter has a bit of everyone and includes some more explanations and Reason's past. Hope you like! It might not be great though cause I wrote it when I was sick.

Chapter twenty three: Mikoto vs. Reason

_**A single lamp was all that kept the crowding darkness at bay. Reason sat in his and Meaning's old room alone. He felt nothing over the loneliness, the threatening darkness. He did not care at all. So this was how it was when you had no emotion. You didn't dwell on memories, you didn't become effected by what was happening around you. You just didn't care, couldn't care.**_

_Sounds awful to me_Mikoto muttered as she saw the thoughts and memories. Justice groaned at her and decided his memories were better then her mood.

"What's with you?" He asked raising Mikoto's eyebrow.

_I'm stuck with you that's what!_ She growled, Justice groaned again and buried his face in the pillow. Unfortunately Mikoto was in his head and her complaints couldn't be blocked out. Pain shot through him as another growth spurt happened. He hated being in a girl's body, especially when a hormonal woman was sharing his mind. _I am going to kill__ Zidane when we rescue him!_ And on and on she went! It was a nightmare! No wonder parents dreaded the teenage years. Now he was beginning to understand why he got stuck with the only girl. God help he understood. _Are you even listening?_

"Can we go back to the memory now?" He asked hopefully feeling an inner glare directed at him. "Aw, come on. You know you can't live without me." Reason teased.

_Literally_ Mikoto muttered but with a less grumpy tone in her voice. _You know, for a skichzo maniac you seen okay._

"Thanks Mikoto, for a creation you're okay too. Now let's get this over with so your body can finish growing quicker."

_Aaww! Is little Reason embarrassed about a woman's body?_ Reason felt their face blush but didn't answer the taunting voice. _Fair enough, but hopefully I won't end up being such a twenty year old grump like you._

* * *

Ipsen gazed at the party with a warm smile on his face.

"I've been waiting for you." He said softly. Dagger just nodded silently. "It is good to see a royal descendant Queen Garnet. Courage has done a good job watching out for you."

"Courage? He was Alexander wasn't he?" Dagger asked as she looked down at her hands.

"He still is. He did not die that day in Alexandria, merely entrapped so he couldn't help you any longer. And now most of the others are in a similar position."

"Most?"

"There is one that remains umharmed, one who stays close to Reason."

"Justice." Kuja corrected. Ipsen just smiled knowingly and shook his head.

"He is Justice no longer. He has found his other self by sharing the soul of another. This is what happened to you, is it not? Once the trance was used up you could feel that soul again, it is why you became the brother you once was." Everyone looked at Kuja who just shrugged, offering no explanation. "Like you, Reason can now hear that soul within his head, Justice will soon be no more within him."

"But what about Garland? He still has Zidane even if Justice doesn't." Dagger interrupted.

"And it is the reason we must now leave for Madain Sari. But I cannot teleport you yet, we have time to collect one of the eidolons near by if we do so quickly. It may be the only chance we get to do so."

"Where is it?" Eiko asked impatiently.

"Oeilvert."

* * *

The small Terran moogle watched as the female genome body continued to mature into adulthood. She quickly grabbed a blanket and draped it over the woman as the clothes began to rip.

The moogle didn't say anything, didn't respond to the nosy Chimomo who'd come to bug her. She instead grabbed another pink blanket and an old sewing kit, beginning to work on a new outfit. Hopefully she would be able to have it ready for when the body stopped growing at twenty.

* * *

_**The newly renamed Justice stood in front of the remaining council members with a blank face. Only one face contained any hint of emotion and she was smiling proudly at the newly bound leader.**_

_**"The rebellion group of Terra has taken out most of our army." One blank face said. "We do not have time to form another and attack Gaia. We must find a way to gain more time."**_

_**"To stop time isn't going to be easy." Justice told them calmly. "But before we concentrate on that there is something to show you." He held up the designs Meaning had been hiding for so long. The blank gazes just blinked stupidly. **_

_**"What is it sweetie?" Foresight asked with a huge grin on her face.**_

_**"It is a design Meaning did. This is a ship that can control the cycle of souls itself; it will give us power over the afterlife." If Justice could have felt any emotion he would have been dancing with joy at the discovery. Luckily for Foresight, who had been unfortunate enough to witness Reason dance a few years ago, this wasn't the case.**_

_**"And why is this more important than ensuring our survival?" A blank face asked.**_

_**"Because with this ship we can control the Gaia cycle as well as our own, we can disrupt it. We can cause their souls to die out within a matter of years."**_

_**"How?" Foresight asked beginning to feel the future possibilities change greatly. **_

_**"Those who come through or are born we can prevent from returning to the planet and being reborn. Those who are on the planet will begin to feel the effect; their souls will try to return to the cycle in order to help restore it. Their bodies will fall ill and then die just so the soul can return. This is when we can programme the ship to collect their souls, rearrange them, break them and corrupt them before releasing them back into the cycle. It will cause them to be reborn as monsters or just appear as mist substance containing broken parts of what their souls once were."**_

_**"And how long will it take?" Would it affect Terran souls once we got onto their planet?"**_

_**"It will take me one year to build and five years for the process to be completed. It will not affect our souls in any way since we are in a different cycle to them no matter what planet we live on." **_

_**"That's too long, we only have two years left." The blank face stated.**_

_**"I have found a way to break the seal into Gaia from our side. The process would have begun to take affect by the time we must leave Terra. I will be able to complete my work on the time stop before the planet dies out, that way we will be able to one day return once the chaos has been reigned onto Gaia. The disruption of the cycle is the precise chaos we need to begin the consumption of Gaia process. All we must do is wait on the uninhabited continent where Ipsen once reigned until the process is completed. Then Terra can consume Gaia and continue on as it rightly should."**_

_**"An entire world's population will not be able to stay on one continent. How shall we choose?"**_

_**"Scientists, doctors, teachers." Foresight butted in with a frustrated sigh. "The important people! I want you to make a list of 500,000 people. That should be enough for us to rebuild our world on." The blank faces left the room quickly and Foresight turned to face Justice.**_

_Please, I've had enough_ Mikoto complained. _I can't believe you came up with that plan! Thankfully it didn't work._ Reason smiled knowingly at that.

"I knew that Mikoto, it was never meant to work."

_What?_

"Did you really think that after being cut off from emotions I couldn't see how Foresight had manipulated me? I wanted her out of the way so I could be the real leader of Terran instead of a puppet."

_But the mist..._

"Yes, that was my doing. I had to keep the cycle disruption in effect for as long as Foresight was alive. It wouldn't have been convincing if I'd stopped it, but if it means any sort of redemption the only souls affected were those already in the cycle."

_So that rubbish about the souls forcing their bodies to die so they could return to the cycle was a lie._ She stated rather than asked.

"Yes, obviously it must have been a convincing one if Foresight fell for it."

_But couldn't she see the future and realise what you were doing...which was what exactly?_ She suddenly demanded.

"Foresight could only see into the near future most of the time so all she would have seen was the disruption of the cycle. Later on...I don't know how she didn't see, I guess I had a guardian angel."

_Or moogle _Mikoto laughed warmly. _But that doesn't explain why? Why would that cause you to fall out from under her control?_

"Persistent aren't we." Reason teased.

_Reason. _She said dangerously. He sighed slightly but still couldn't stop a smile settle on their features.

"I would be out of her control because she would die with the rest of Terra stupid." He said with a smirk.

_I still don't understand._

"I know; that's because your mind is too innocent to comprehend my evil intentions." He said fondly. "You see, the disruption of the cycle wasn't always a bad thing, when some of the souls separated and joined with other parts they wouldn't always become mist. Sometimes if they were strong enough they would instead form into a species."

_A monster._

"In some cases yes, but also Burmecians were born, hippo people, red mages. The souls all mixed together and helped to begin a new leap in Gaia's evolutionary cycle."

_But why did **you** want this?_

"There was a specific species created that I helped design especially so they could easily be corrupted by the genomes I was planning to create using Meaning's notes. A blue, elephant like creature who I made sure was born into the royal family. But I knew it would take a while for one of their kind to be granted the power of the throne even when born into the royal family. That would only happen once they had no other choice in the matter. So I created Garland and told him to wait until one was in power before he created the first angel of death. As it turned out he began to make Kuja when one is the Queen and the King was still alive. Once the destructive soul saw to this death the creature was easy enough to corrupt and cause chaos on Gaia to reign."

_But that didn't work either._

"Yes, I know that." Reason grumbled in annoyance. "But at the time I thought it _would_ work!"

_So, you're saying you **wanted** Terra to kill its people, including you. But because you were going to build Garland and the Invincible you knew once the time was right he could just find your souls and put them into the genome's body._

"Yes."

_Good plan, in a psycho sort of way._

"Thank you." He smirked.

_But all those people..._

"Mikoto, I didn't have emotions back then. I...I didn't have guilt or a conscience. I'm not immoral, I was just Amoral. Please understand that."

_Why do you care what I think? _She asked teasingly.

"Because you are the first person to really know me, to know I did it on purpose."

_If you got rid of that bitch I can see why you did it. She killed so many just to get her own way. _Reason smiled happily noticing that his moogle was holding up a finished baggy pink dress. Reason frowned in confusion, glanced under the blanket and blushed.

"I think the process is almost finished." He stuttered while trying to ignore Mikoto's laughing in his head.

_Yes, you explaining what happened has caused our body to finish its growth spurt. Now all that's left is to see the actual memories themselves._ Reason just nodded his agreement as he pulled the dress on, noticing the red blisters now covering their body.

"We've shared mind and soul, now I think we're about to share my death again." He whispered before collapsing onto the floor.

* * *

"But won't she die kupo?" Monotose asked. Zidane shook his head as he sat cross legged on the floor.

"Ipsen should be here soon, he'll heal her and separate them."

"But won't he be evil again?" Zidane just shrugged.

"Depends on how much he's shared with Mikoto and whether he wants to be like his family." The moogle flew into the air confused while Zidane watched silently. He sighed and glanced down at his now fully grown tail. "I hope they get here soon, Garland will be coming to take me to Terra at any moment. Then it will be too late to stop his plan."

"Kupo, don't be negative! At least Reason is now, Kupo, here to help if that happens."

"Yeah I'm glad he can help. But it still could end up being too late."


	26. Real

There's not enough words to express how sorry I am! This chapter was a real pain, and it just wouldn't work for ages no matter what I did. Plus my game of this has been lent out for about two years now so I've been unable to check on some things. Forgive me if there's any mistakes, and please tell me if there is! I need it to be completely correct. I have one more exam, and then afterwards I'm getting my game copy back, so expect more chapters after that! The next chapter is ready, and I'll post it in a few days. I'll continue this story to the end, even if people have given up on it, which I wouldn't blame them for.

This chapter is for Shakai and Dark Heart, who asked about more chapters. Than you so much for making me write more!

**Chapter twenty four: Real**

"Hurry up!" Eiko shrieked as she ran across the plains towards the cliffs Oeilvert resided in. "Or we'll be too late!"

Dagger, Ipsen, Kuja, Freya, Fratley, Amarant, Vivi, Steiner and Quina ran after her while also running away from a number of battles. They could all fell time running out, all knew if they didn't hurry it would all be over soon.

_Move your skinny butt! This is the future King of Alexandria we're trying to save here! _Brahnne ordered inside Kuja's head. He groaned, noticing Ipsen chuckled slightly beside him. That boy could definitely hear her too.

"I'm going as fast as I can." He pointed out.

_Then get summoned! You're not one of those pre-chosen lot, you can be summoned easily enough!_

"I can't carry all of them." Him and Ipsen were behind now, making sure the others couldn't hear what was going on.

"Trust me Queen Brahnne, by the time he was summoned, taken us to Oeilvert, changed back and got transported we would have easily reached Madain Sari by staying on this course." Ipsen said as he plodded on, Kuja smirked and quickened his pace, unfortunately though Brahnne carried on complaining.

_Of all the imbeciles I had to be stuck with._

"Shut up already!" He complained, almost tripping on his coat.

_If you don't like this you shouldn't have killed me, reclaimed my soul and combined it with yours so you could go into super Trance!_

"That wasn't me, it was the destructive soul! And anyway you didn't talk to me while I was in the trance."

_That's because I couldn't! you were too strong and you kept blocking me of, but now…_Kuja groaned and continued on running, Ipsen just smiled at the two, deciding it was best not t separate them _quiet_ yet.

* * *

_**Justice stood in front of his finished ship with a small grin on his face. It wasn't an emotional grin, but just a sign of completion, now he would be able to work on his Genome creation in secret, during his breaks from the time stop experiment.**_

_**"It's very impressive." Foresight cooed to the nineteen year old. Justice just shrugged and rubbed his aching arms, now slightly more muscular than they had been when he'd had emotions. **_

_**"It will do. Now it is time to begin the…"**_

"Owww!" Reason complained as the illness caused their body a spasm of pain. Only one year to go, but already Mikoto's body was suffering from the effects of when he was twenty.

_What are these blisters anyway? _Mikoto asked tiredly.

"It's part of a disease the planet released on us, not a nice way to die. Trust me on that."

_Great. I guess you didn't finish the time stop to prevent that then._

"I did finish it, but I waited until the virus was already too strong in the people to be effected by the time stopping. It would kill us, but this way Foresight would die too."

_So when did you activate it? Just before you died?_

"No, Garland did it."

_How did you make Garland when you had the time stop to do? Genomes had to monitored carefully in Bran Bal._

"I had a helper, her name was…"

* * *

_**Friendly sighed happily as she approached the council building. She had received an email about a job with the council leader and she didn't want to miss out on it by being late. For so long she had wanted a job that could benefit her people. She wanted to help their beloved planet survive; help her family and friends to live longer than just a few years. **_

"_**Identify yourself." One of the guards demanded. Friendly smiled nervously, swallowing down a surprised gasp at his coldness.**_

"_**My name is Friendly…I'm here about the assistant job for the Council leader." She was ushered into the building and made to go through a humiliating search for weapons before the guards sent her to the waiting area. **_

"_**I hope I won't have to do this everyday if I get the job." She muttered to herself as she sat down and waited. "It would take half the day!" She's been aiming to make the young man next to her laugh, but he just glared and went back to his presentation cards.**_

_**Oh no, I didn't think I needed to make a presentation! **_

"_**Empathy, he's ready to see you now." The grumpy receptionist spoke up. The man next to Friendly stood up, fixed his crooked tie and stepped into the office. Friendly yelled a good luck to him, but it was ignored. **_

_**Empathy? Is he really an empathic? Why would the Council leader need an empathic? She knew Reason would be aware of his name, his personality already. He knew all of their techniques they were offering for this job. Friendly merely had her way with people…how could she compete with an empathic?**_

_**It was ten minutes of these thoughts before Empathy came out of the office again, his expression giving nothing away. Friendly smiled at him as he passed, and was a little shocked to see him give her a playful wink.**_

"_**Friendly, he's ready to see you." The receptionist droned, shaking her out of her shock. What did the wink mean? "Friendly, he doesn't like to be kept waiting."**_

_**Friendly swallowed nervously as she stood up and knocked politely on the door. **_

_**"Enter." Commanded a cold voice; one that made the young Terran shiver as she entered. She gasped slightly at the sight of the Terran leader, very different from what she'd been expecting. "You must be Friendly, please take a seat."**_

_**Friendly did as she was told, all the while smiling as best as she could. She jumped a little in surprise when a similar smile appeared on the emotionless leader's face. Friendly had always had that effect on people, but she'd never imagined she could cause someone with no emotions to feel happier too. **_

_**"Now, before we begin is there anything you'd like to say?" Justice asked.**_

_**"Well Sir…I was wondering what qualities you were looking for in your assistant, so I can know whether I am in for a chance with the other candidates."**_

_**"You need to do as you're instructed, and I suppose a certain caring nature would also be appropriate for the task I have in mind. Now, I will ask you three questions."**_

_**"Um, okay." Friendly agreed.**_

_**"Firstly, how do you feel about how the council is dealing with the Gaian situation?" Friendly held her breath in alarm. Why did he ask her that? Of all the questions he could have asked…he chose the one she had the most conflicting emotions over.**_

_**"Truthfully, sir?" She asked nervously, already knowing she wouldn't be able to lie in order to please him. Justice just nodded, beckoning with a hand for her to answer.**_

_**"Well, sir, I mean no disrespect but I believe to purposely cause chaos and end people's lives just to benefit ourselves can never be a good act. But I also know that humans in general are suspicious creatures, and the Gaians could never accept us without treating us harshly. Our people would suffer for many years on their world, but with our strong wills we'd survive it, and eventually be accepted. Killing them isn't the only option; it's just the faster one."**_

_**"And what would you do if given the choice?"**_

_**"…Well, I would prefer to claim the empty continent for ourselves, and then establish peace treaties with the other Gaian continents. But considering their development with industry being slow, by the time they are able to travel to the other continents we could already be more familiar to them before meeting."**_

_**"And what would you do if they decided to attack us?" **_

_**"…I guess I would fight for my people no matter what, but I would still try to achieve peace. It's hard to say when I'm sat in such a safe place, sir."**_

_**Justice remained quiet, merely staring at Friendly with an expressionless look. Friendly tried to smile weakly, but even that had no effect on him.**_

_**"Very well Friendly. You may leave now, we'll be in touch." Friendly just nodded and stood up, a lump in her throat. His reaction didn't seem too positive. **_

_**It wasn't until after Friendly had left the building and was beginning her journey home when she felt a tap on her shoulder.**_

_**"Justice wishes to see you." Empathy told her with a warm smile. "You got the position."**_

* * *

_You hired her? Why?_

"Because she had the right qualities I needed in order to trust her. It turned out that it was because of those qualities she was bound to betray me as well."

_What did she do? _

"What any good person would have, she saved the Gaian souls from further destruction."

* * *

**_"I don't understand, how did he decide so quickly?"_**

_**"He's been investigating this for a long time, and decided on you even before you applied." Empathy told her warmly. "I'm sorry about the deception earlier, but Justice instructed me to read you to make sure you were the right person for the job."**_

_**"Well, thanks for being honest now." She said with a smile. "So you worked for him all along?"**_

_**"Yes, I'm working on a private project he has underway, one which requires my unique abilities. Maybe…maybe I could give you a tour once your work begins." He said shyly, making Friendly blush.**_

_**"I'd like that." She admitted, knowing he would already be able to tell. Empathy just nodded and smiled in reply, leading her towards the Council Laboratory Building and flashing his clearance card to the guards. **_

_**"She's with me." He told them firmly, they merely nodded and pushed in the door's code. "You'll be working in the smaller lab."**_

_**"Um, a lab? But I thought I was going to be a personal assistant, like a secretary or something."**_

**_"You will be, but not to Justice, and you won't be a security but more like a carer."_**

_**"To who?"**_

_**"You'll see. I was hired to help create him properly, make sure he was given the right emotions and ideas. You are to tend to his needs and make sure he understands the necessity of his mission."**_

_**"And how can you be sure I can do this?"**_

_**"Your answers to his questions convinced Justice you are the perfect person for this. You wish for a more peaceful approach, yet you are still prepared to fight for your people no matter what. That's what this creation must be aware of." Before Friendly could ask anything more she was lead to a heavy steeled door where Justice stood waiting, the Terran leader nodded a little at her before turning and opening the door. Friendly began to follow nervously, but felt better when she felt Empathy's comforting hand on her back.**_

_**The lab wasn't what Friendly thought small, but the vastness of the room was taken up by the large tube-like device filled with blue liquid. Friendly couldn't help but gasp at the figure that lay inside, one that looked like an old Terran, but with an unreal pale complexion. **_

_**"W-who's that?" Friendly managed to ask, not taking her gaze off the figure beyond the glass. **_

_**"He has been plainly named Experiment (Garland in Gaian language), he doesn't need a complex identity, but he does need a complex knowledge on our situation. Both Empathy and myself believe you are the perfect person for this task." Justice told her coldly.**_

_**"When will he be out of there?" Friendly asked. **_

_**"Tomorrow, and that's when your duties will begin." Justice stated; who then turned his attention to Empathy. "You are to check on her each hour, as well as continuing with your own duties." **_

_**"Yes sir." Empathy said obediently. **_

* * *

_Empathy is cute. _Mikoto stated, causing Reason to frown.

"He's dead, you can't have him."

_Are you jealous? _She asked teasingly, making their face blush.

"Why would I be jealous of him? He was in love with Friendly; he loved her so much he chose her over his own people."

_And wouldn't you ever do something like that?_ Reason didn't answer her, in truth, he didn't know anymore.

* * *

**_The birth of Garland was something Friendly would never forget, and neither would be the eagerness he held to help Terra. Friendly taught him everything she knew and believed; everything she felt in her heart of hearts. Garland seeped it all into memory never questioning what she felt, but soon offering his own ideas. He was much more than just an experiment, he was almost like a person. For two years she taught him, and within those years hers and Empathy's relationship grew stronger._**

_**"He'll be here soon." Garland observed as Friendly looked at her watch again. "What's this surprise he's planned?"**_

_**"If I knew that it wouldn't be a surprise." She pointed out, a smile set on her face. "As soon as Empathy gets here Justice will come to talk to you. I'm not sure what his purpose to see you is; I don't have the clearance to know."**_

_**"Something which will benefit our people." Garland said confidently. It had taken Friendly a long time to see the Terrans as his people too, but now it was clear to him. **_

_**They waited for another ten minutes before someone arrived, but it wasn't Empathy.**_

_**"Empathy asked me to apologise for his sake, he has important work to finish up." Justice told her, not sounding in the least bit sorry. **_

_**"Oh, well, I guess I'll be going now sir." She said quietly, smiling a goodbye to Garland before leaving the room. **_

_**She sighed in frustration as she made her way home, unable to feel angry at Empathy when she'd been looking forward to the surprise all week. They rarely argued, but if they did it was over his work, his top secret work he could never tell her about, no matter how much he loved her. **_

_**"Damn him." She muttered as she collapsed on her bed in angry exhaustion. "And to think I thought he was going to…" She chuckled a little, surprised to find tears on her face. **_

_**"He was going to propose Friendly; he still is." The voice made her jump and she instantly grabbed a gun she kept for protection. Over the past two years panic had set in on Terra, and it was a dangerous place to live.**_

_**"Who are you?" She asked the blonde haired man, who appeared only two years older than herself. His clothes were those of royalty, and ones she'd never seen the likes of before except in books concerning Gaia. **_

_**"Please don't fear me Friendly, I am a friend."**_

_**"Then why would you break into my house?" She spat out.**_

_**"I didn't 'break in' as you put it, I came to help you. Your partner, Empathy, he's in trouble of losing his soul, you need to help him."**_

_**"How would you know anything about Empathy? Who are you?" **_

_**"My name was once Ipsen, now I work for the Gaian Gods, working to achieve peace between our two worlds."**_

_**"Never heard of you." Friendly sniffed.**_

_**"Yes, I know, but you have way with people. You know I'm here to help." Friendly just shrugged, not allowing herself to be drawn in.**_

_**"Go to him Friendly, you must stop him." With that Ipsen disappeared, making Friendly cry out in shock. She blinked in confusion for a moment and then quickly shook her head and ran from the house. She had to save Empathy. **_

* * *

_She was brave, preparing to disobey Justice to go help Empathy._

"Yes, the pre-chosen usually are very brave and true to themselves."

_What happened to them?_ Reason sighed at the question, gritting his teeth in pain.

"You really want to know? Once you see this body will be completely overtaken by the circumstances of my death."

_We're going to die anyway; I want some entertainment before I do. _Reason just smiled at that, unable to laugh.

"It's a pity, I was just starting to get used to you Mikoto." He said somewhat shyly, feeling more like the Reason he once was.

* * *

"Trust the stupid eidolon to be all the way down here." Eiko complained as they descended into the depths of Oeilvert, to the place the Gulug Stone had once resided. "How do we reawaken it anyway?" 

"The same way you awakened me young Summoner." Ipsen said kindly, "Together." Eiko glanced at Dagger and nodded.

"Okay, but let's hurry." Dagger instructed. "Zidane won't have much time left."

* * *

**_Friendly didn't have the high clearance to enter the larger laboratory, but to her amazement she found the door was already open. She thanked Ipsen silently for his help before entering, pausing in awe at the sight of the Invincible._**

_**"Empathy?" She called out as she entered the ship. He wasn't anywhere in sight, but she did find a book on the bridge with details on his intended methods. Friendly read it with growing horror, learning that the ship was a way to control the cycle of souls, and that despite Justice's orders Empathy was unwilling to shut off the effect. To keep it running was the best course of action in ensuring the Terran's survival, and Empathy was prepared to do that. **_

_**"Oh, Empathy, it would destroy you to do such a thing." Friendly whispered. "Feeling all those souls become disrupted with your gift would drive you mad."**_

_**"I don't mind that Friendly." Came Empathy's voice behind her. "I would gladly give up my own soul to save you." She slowly turned, tears filling her eyes.**_

_**"You can't save me Empathy, you can't even save yourself. Your plan wouldn't work because the way to Gaia has been blocked off, there's a seal on the other side which prevents us going there. Ipsen told me about it."**_

_**"Ipsen? Who's that?"**_

_**"A king who died to defend his world, just as we are destined to." Friendly said with a sad smile. "We can't save Terra the way we wanted, but we can save its reputation, its spirit. Surely you, being an empath, can see the planet would want this rather than to live on in disgrace."**_

_**"I don't care what the planet wants. I want you to live Friendly."**_

_**"I have been chosen Empathy, as one of the eidolons. I must leave you now, and I beg you will not destroy your soul for no reason." The silence between them was deafening, one which would live in Friendly's memory always, their final time together. "The virus is being released by the planet as we speak, its too late for us, it's all up to Garland now."**_

_**"But we must warn Justice…"**_

_**"Justice has always know; this is what he always planned. Please, I must leave now, before Foresight confronts Justice over his deceit."**_

_**"Fine." Empathy said, glancing up at her with determination. "Then I'm coming with you."**_

_**"You were always destined to." Ipsen broke in, smiling sadly at the two. "Are you ready?"**_

* * *

Garland whistled happily as she made his way to the house Justice was staying. He had been informed that Zidane was now fully recovered and ready to move. Everything was read to go. All of the ships had a captain and all unnecessary equipment was being left behind.

"Sir, we are ready to leave…" He began, but stopped at the sight which greeted him. His master was sprawled out on the floor, no longer in the body of a girl, but that of a woman's. Red blisters covered the delicate figure, and it lay shivering with a heavy fever.

"The soul, it has overtaken you…" Garland muttered as Reason looked up at him. "Master, we are ready to leave."

"No, I want you to wait." Reason said weakly but firmly.

"But sir _he_ will want Destruction to be unleashed soon, we must leave for Terra now!"

"It's wrong to do this to him, to her brother." He mumbled. Garland was silent for a moment before his laughter filled the room.

"Master, you have let this creation manipulate you? You defeated Foresight but you cannot resist this girl? Foresight was much more beautiful than this creature, yet you managed to escape from her grasp. Are you really going to fail in your mission because of a mere crush?"

"It's wrong, Terra is gone. I wanted to save it but it's gone, that place is just a memory. I don't want to lose anyone else over a memory. I order you to stay." Garland just laughed again.

"But master, I take orders from _him_ now, not you. I have been ordered to return, even with you on their side they will lose Justice. Goodbye _Reason_, your end has become a joke, just like it was before. Have fun with your new girlfriend in the last few hours you have left."

_Mustn't feel too good to have your own creation turn against you. _Mikoto commented weakly. _So, is that it now?_

"Not quite." Reason said. Allowing a small chuckle. "Don't you want to witness Foresight's last moment's first?"

_Well, I'll guess I'll die happier if I do. _Mikoto joked.

* * *

**_"What have you done you idiot!" Foresight screamed; her handsome face covered with angry blisters. "You have killed us all!" Justice just smirked blankly as he continued to calmly lie on the floor. He was too weak to move now, but that was okay. He would rather die in the house his mother had than anywhere else. _**

_**"I know, but the virus had to be released Foresight, otherwise it would have happened when we started the flow of time once more. This way once the genomes are complete we can come back and live on."**_

_**"But not me." She said weakly, sinking to the floor. "You won't let my soul come back."**_

_**"No, you have used me too long; I do not intend to stay under your control anymore."**_

_**"You idiot boy! You cannot save Terra without me! You are too weak!"**_

_**"I was strong enough to do what no one else could." Justice said with a smirk. "I killed you." Foresight growled darkly, but it soon turned into a groan of pain.**_

_**"You will regret this Justice, mark my words." She wheezed, now laid down. Justice didn't answer, just continued to lie on his back, smiling weakly. **_

_**His moogle lay on his chest and he saw tears on its cheeks. He must be hallucinating. **_

_**"Thank you." He whispered softly to it, for a moment able to feel again. He heard Foresight groan and mutter something, but he died before he could begin to understand it.

* * *

**_

Reason screamed out in pain as the memory ended, he could faintly hear Mikoto's own screams echoing in their head.

"I guess this is it...again." He said softly.

_Guess so, it was nice knowing you Reason._

"You too Mikoto, hopefully we'll see each other in the next life."

_Grown attached have we? _Reason smiled, nodded his head weakly. _Well, in the next life just remember that you owe me a date. _

* * *

Zidane stood up as Garland entered, ready to fight if he had to. 

"Don't even bother trying dear Zidane, you're power from the potion has been used up to restore you strength. You cannot stop this again." He said smugly as he aimed the gun. Zidane sighed and waved his arms in a sign of defeat. "Good, now let's go." Zidane rolled his eyes and whispered softly to Monotose before leaving.

"Tell Mikoto Reason's the key to reaching Terra. And tell Dagger I love her."

* * *

"Hurry up!" Dagger screamed at Kuja and Ipsen as her and Eiko completed the ritual. "Teleport us now!" Ipsen nodded. 

"I can only teleport one at a time…"

"Then send me first! Just hurry!" Ipsen nodded again and closed his eyes. Dagger felt a sudden lurch in her stomach and closed her eyes in pain. When she reopened them she found herself stood near the Madain Sari entrance, where Alexandria ships were stationed.

"So you've finally arrived." A cold voice said from behind her. Dagger slowly turned to face Garland, sensing that Steiner had appeared beside her.

"Unhand his future Highness!" He yelled, Garland only gave a chuckle for a reply, while Zidane rolled his eyes.

"Gee rusty that's original." He applauded.

"Let him go!" Dagger commanded, not taking her eyes off Garland, unable to face a look at Zidane.

"Or what? Your eidolons are dead, your friends will arrive too late and if Zidane were to try anything I'll just destroy his body and reclaim his soul from the cycle. Either way you lose him." Dagger swallowed, sensing that more of her friends had arrived but knowing they could do nothing. She sighed heavily in defeat, and directed her gaze to her fiancée for the first time.

His tail was fully restored, yet his eyes were filled with an overwhelming sadness, as though he were a man preparing for death. He nodded his head at her, telling her to stand down. He had a plan; he must have a plan. Dagger found she could only nod back as Garland dragged him aboard the Invincible. All her friends were there now, all nothing could be done. They were too late.

They watched silently as the airships rose into the air and turned a course towards where the Shimmering Island once resided. None even dared to breathe until all the ships were out of sight."

"Zidane spoke to me in his head." Kuja said quietly. "He said a moogle had information for us…"

"That's right Kupo!" Monotose boosted, beside him stood a small orange moogle.

"Mog?" Eiko burst, but the moogle merely drooped its head in shame.

"She's Reason's moogle, kupo. But I think she was once Mog too. She wasn't orange before but as soon as, kupo, she say you Lady Eiko she changed."

Dagger watched quietly as Eiko bent down and began talking to her beloved moogle.

"So she was the summon unharmed." She whispered softly. "What's the message Zidane left?"

"Zidane said, kupo, to say he loves you. And he said to tell Mikoto…"

"Reason's still here!" Eiko yelled suddenly. "But he's dying like he did before. He needs healing now! He can get us to Terra!"

* * *

Reason could hear voices, unfamiliar voices speaking in a way he couldn't understand. He slowly opened his eyes, realising Mikoto had bee silent for a while now. He was growing worried for her. Was her soul gone already? Was he alone? 

"Mikoto?" He asked slowly. A flash of blonde hair came to him and he quickly sat up. It was him, the one he'd seen after his mother died, after Meaning died. "Ipsen, what are _you_ doing here?" He said in a harsh whisper. Already he could barely talk, and only visualise blurry outlines. They were talking but he couldn't understand.

_Reason, can you hear me?_

"Mikoto?"

_No, it's Ipsen. I'm here to heal you, but I need to have your word that you'll help us get to Terra. _

Save Mikoto." He said firmly, unable to comprehend anything else.

* * *

Ipsen sighed heavily as he looked down at the young woman's body, covered in the Terran illness. 

"He doesn't understand, he's just thinking of Mikoto."

"Well we have to save them otherwise Zidane is lost!" Eiko complained. "Maybe he _will_ help us."

"Or he might kill us." Amarant butted in. Ipsen shook his head confidently.

"…I think he likes her. As long as she is near him he will listen."

"But she's dying; she can't stay in the same body as him." Kuja pointed out. "We have to kill one of them."

The moogle that was once known as Mog muttered something to the young King, who then nodded in agreement.

"I need you all to picture what Reason used to look like, hold the image in your mind. From your memory of him I'm going to try and recreate his original body."

* * *

The locket was all he could see within the darkness so he naturally reached out for it. He didn't bother questioning it, he was beyond such ideas. 

_This is so different from last time. _He told himself, suddenly feeling the loneliness Mikoto's absence brought to him. The locket felt heavy in his grasp and he smiled; they were all nearby.

_Reason _His father's voice said, but as he heard it the locket grew lighter. _You must go back; we need you to help them._

_Reason _Kindness called. _You need to finish what this family began. You're part of this too, you always have been._

_Reason! _Meaning cried out. _Come back to me!_

"Reason!" Mikoto called. He groaned slightly, refusing to open his eyes. He wanted to go back, to be under no one's control anymore. "Open your eyes." He shook his head, rubbing his face with his hands. He could feel his rough gloves, feel the spikes on them rub against his face…what the? "Come on lazy, open them!" Reason couldn't help but smile slightly at the voice and felt his eyelids flutter obediently, catching a glimpse of his partly gloved olive coloured hands and Mikoto's grown angelic face beyond them.

"Is he awake?" He heard another shape, Ipsen, ask her. Reason bolted up in a sitting position, glaring at the King. What was he doing talking to her?

"Looks that way." Mikoto said with a beautiful smile. Reason turned his full attention to her, now able to see from a distance the effect of the growth had.

Her hair was now wavy and reached down to her slim waist, her skin a delicate pale but still beautifully so. Her face still held a childish cuteness to it…wait, what was he thinking?

"Old age suits you." He said shyly, fully aware that he'd never been this close to a girl he wasn't related to. Mikoto laughed beautifully and punched him playfully in the arm.

"Who are you calling old?" Their mild flirting was interrupted when a middle-aged knight clad in rusty armour began jumping about, yelling some gibberish.

"Is that Gaian?" Reason asked.

"Yeah." Mikoto said, still smiling at him which he couldn't understand. "I guess I'll have to teach you."

"I'd like that." He grinned. "But can you just translate for now?"

* * *

"Stop flirting about and have him take us to Terra immediately!" Steiner yelled, dagger laughed quietly, unable to help herself. The Terran and Genome really did appear to have chemistry. Mikoto was beautiful at twenty while Reason was good looking enough to cause Eiko to blush at Dagger's side. 

"What are they saying?" She asked Ipsen.

"Nothing important to know about." He answered as he watched Reason play around with Mikoto's long hair.

"Um, Mikoto." Dagger began. "We don't have time to waste right now." The Genome nodded and playfully slapped Reason's hand away, pointing towards Dagger.

"She's explaining to him who you are." Ipsen told her. The Terran man tilted his head curiously at Dagger while Mikoto continued to talk.

* * *

"She's engaged to Destruction?" 

"No, she's engaged to Zidane; the genome soul, my brother." Mikoto said angrily. Reason smiled nervously, knowing already what her moods were like.

"Okay, I'm sorry. So she's the Queen of Alexandria and is engaged to Zidane, who is currently in Terra to have the destructive soul inserted into him…She's very strong to be put through all this and still be fighting."

"Yes she is. And there's a way you make it easier for her."

"I don't even know her, why should I help?"

"Three reasons. She's royalty, and therefore is part of the family you father has been protecting for three thousand years." Reason flinched at this, but nodded in agreement. "Two, anyone with empathy would do it, which you have back." Reason sighed and glanced back over at the young queen again, seeing the suffering through her eyes.

"And the third?" Mikoto smiled broadly then and sat beside him, whispering low into his ear.

"Because then I'll owe you."

"…And how exactly am I supposed to help?" She giggled slightly, pulling away enough for him to be able to see her face clearly.

"You're the scientist here; you're the one who invented the teleports. You're the one who can help us reach Terra and…" She stopped when his face changed instantly to a deep frown.

"Terra? Are you insane!" He yelled, drawing away from her with a look of fear. "I've only just escaped from their grasp! If I go back they'll make me what I was again."

"We won't let that happen to you!" Mikoto pleaded. But Reason shook his head weakly at her.

"Is that what this is all been about? All you nice act, pretending to care just so I would do what you want?" He turned his back to her, ignoring both her and Ipsen, and gazed at the Queen. "I'm sorry." He told her before he left the room.


	27. manipulating Reason

Exams are over, life is good. This chapter I have had written for a VERY long time, its one of the first chapters I wrote for this story. I feel all hyper finally posting it up! I should be getting my game back this week, so hopefully I'll be able to write quicker after that. The ff10-2 fic I'm doing is nearing its end, and once that's over this fic will have my main attention again. Its approaching the moment of Evil Zidane soon! Plus there's more of Reason now, who I love to bits (almost as much as Zidane himself).

Terraguy: I've always said I'd finish this, no matter how long it takes. Lol, almost two years now. I haven't written it in so long because I don't have my game, so I can't check information, or make sure I'm doing the characters properly. Thanks for all your support through this! And the exams went good, thanks for wishing me luck!

Shakai: Zidane makes another appearance in this one, and then the evil Zidane will soon rise! (finally, lol) lol, and there's more Reason and Mikoto in this chapter!

Ferra: thank you.

Gemini Wings: lol, sorry about that, its one of my weaknesses. I have this need to put in all the history, just so I know how they worked up to that point. But after your review I'm gonna stop doing it so much. Probably a good thing cause I was at one point going to do all the eidolon histories. Thanks for your review!

ikecer: don't worry, I will finish this story! I love it too much to give one it completely.

**Manipulating Reason**

"Is he going to help us or what?" Steiner asked. For the first time since Dagger had known him he seemed…fed up?

"Let me talk to him." Mikoto said making her way out of the small kitchen.

"And why would he listen to you?" Amarant asked coldly.

"Because I've seen his inner soul…plus I'm the only one who he can understand."

* * *

He sat amongst the eidolon pillars gazing up at the dark sky. Reaching out he touched the closest one to him, running his fingers over the wood. His fingerless black gloves were invisible against the dark night making his fingers seem fake. Fake fingers that touched his father's holy form, a form he may now never see. In this darkness he was Justice, the Terran who caused the destruction of his home, the Terran who would never fit into his family of heroes. He was the Terran so easily manipulated, who went against everything he'd been taught and become a monster. He was the Terran who ended up alone, hated and always alone.

"I know how you feel." A beautiful voice said behind him. He smiled slightly at the sound of the ancient language, he missed it so much and she spoke it so beautifully.

"I highly doubt that Mikoto." The use of her name slipped out before he realised it, yet he didn't regret it for a second. Mikoto was more than a vessel, much more. That was one of the things he had learnt from her soul.

"Let me guess." She began while brushing her hand gently over his shoulders, sending an unexpected warm shiver through him. A delicate finger lingered on his felt shoulder as she gracefully pivoted around him and slowly linked both arms around the back of his neck. Reason swallowed nervously as he gazed into her beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that were penetrating his own dark ones with no shame. His heartbeat began to race as she drew her face closer, teasingly close as her breath tickled his face. "You feel isolated, alone. You can never fit in, not when you try to be good and not even when you try to be bad. You are plagued with guilt because you couldn't save your people, because you couldn't stop what happened to our planet. You hate yourself for letting people always manipulate you, letting them use your talents in ways you don't want." At the last part Reason's gaze flickered away from her.

"Isn't that what you are doing now Mikoto? Manipulating me to use my talents for your cause." Guilt shone in her eyes as she began to unwrap her arms from him and turn her back on him in shame. Reason instantly missed her warmth, but still felt tingles of excitement running through him. "That's what I thought."

"I'm sorry, but I need to find my brother. I guess I didn't think of how you'd feel about all this."

"Believe me Mikoto, I find your chosen way to manipulate me a lot more…well, let's just say it's better than what the others did." He whispered softly in her ear as he gently wrapped his arms around her waist. He allowed a small smile when he felt her shiver with excitement. "Although for once it would be nice to make my own choices. Ones which I can make before I am forced to make wrong ones and be responsible for the results."

"Fair enough." Mikoto sighed leaning back so his head could rest on her shoulder. "So what choices do you want?" He didn't answer for a while but merely rested his head against her hair and breathed in. Mikoto smiled and wriggled herself closer allowing Reason to prop his chin on top of his head. He sighed with a moment of content while gazing up at the stars.

"I have spent over a year on the new Terra that was formed. It looks so much like it used to, the beautiful pride it once had returned. But when I was there in a memory of my old body I could never feel at home. You see that Terra…isn't Terra. It's just a memory of it pulled out from Memoria. When you look at the starts over the seasons they never change because it's just one moment of a memory. A memory before the threat of the dying planet, one before the time-stop had stilled us from the stars. I used to think, if we did merge with Gaia, would it still just be a moment? Or would it be alive again?" He glanced up at the stars sadly slowly removing his arms from her waist and guiding her hands to point at one place in the sky. "Do you know what that star which used to shine brightly there should be?"

"Our planet, Terra." She whispered gently caressing and playing with his exposed fingers.

"When I sat here and first saw it wasn't there…I knew. If it were to be more than a moment then it would be in the sky again. But it never will be. It's just memory, a nice memory. It would be a lie to bring Terra back because it can never be brought back. It died; the planet died and can't be reformed. I…I don't want to live a lie anymore, not even a beautiful lie. I want freedom from fakeness, I want memories to remain as memories, otherwise they just become painful. A memory should never try to be more than that because it will only cause more pain someday.

"…I know the truth is just as painful true, but at least the pain is real. I'll help you find you brother."

"Thank you Reason." She whispered teasingly tuning to face him and locking her arms around his neck once more.

"Still trying to manipulate me?" He whispered rubbing his nose with hers and placing his arms around her back, pulling her an inch closer.

"Who said this was to manipulate you? I've been doing this for fun." She said with a grin before allowing her lips to brush against his for a brief second. "But there's no time for fun now. Let's find my brother first." She said with a wink as she slapped his hands away and gracefully made her exit. "Goodnight Ree."

Reason watched her leave with disbelief. He scratched his head with a sigh trying to calm his racing heart. He growled in frustration at letting himself be effected by her like this.

"Women." He muttered with a full smile.

* * *

Mikoto returned to the kitchen looking rather cheerful and flushed.

"Well? Ipsen asked with a knowing smile.

"He'll help." She said trying not to blush under his knowing glance. "I'm going to sleep, okay?"

"Hey Mikoto." Eiko yelled as she cooked. "There's some extra clothes in the store cupboard. How about tomorrow we girls pick you out a cute outfit?"

"Sounds fun." She giggled looking at her old plain dress. Maybe she could find something to tease Reason with. "I'll be up bright and early for it!"

* * *

Zidane opened his heavy eyelids as he heard an upbeat tap on the glass. His efforts were rewarded with an up close view of Garland's wrinkly old face.

"Wakey wakey Zidane! I would think you'd want to spend every last moment enjoying your soul in control while you can."

If Zidane had been able to talk without having his mouth he would have said exactly where Garland could put his suggestion. However instead he settled with a finger directed at the old man.

"Dear Zidane, such manners! Never mind that though, already half the destructive soul has entered your system ready to take over. I imagine you've noticed rather weak and well…drained. That will be due to the destructive soul attacking your defenses. Once it has all entered your system it will take over and once that happens its irreversible. Your two souls will become one, much more than Kuja's had been. Your friends are as good as dead and all the while that soul of yours will view it all, unable to stop it. How I would love to hear the inner scream you'd unleash as you end your lover's life. I wish I could hear it." The comment angered him but no adrenaline rush came. No extra energy. Zidane banged weakly on the glass to get out. But it was useless, he was useless now.

"Well goodbye now Zidane. Next time I visit you will be no more and Destruction will live at last." He laughed coldly as Zidane rolled his eyes at the lame speech. "Farewell my dear creation, I shall miss you."

* * *

Reason tried to breathe in deeply, failing to calm his racing heart as he stared at the lonely landscape he was trying to work in. He was near to the village's entrance, where he could look out at the vast land outside it, a land he would not dare cross alone.

For so long Reason had been void of any emotion; able to hide his disadvantage from everyone because it no longer effected him. Now he could no longer hide it, he was once again weak due to his fear of being so alone.

"Are you alright?" Came a concerned voice.

_Anyone but him! _Reason complained as he tried to steady his breathing.

"Fine." He muttered; turning back to the machine he was building. He heard the young King sigh slightly before moving closer.

"You don't have to pretend Reason." He said softly, causing the Terran to bow his head.

"I'm not pretending; I just have a headache, that's all." He lied, not wanting to place any trust in the young King.

"…Okay, I can heal you if you want?"

"I don't need your help; you've already saved my life."

"Perhaps I could borrow a potion from Lady Eiko then." Ipsen suggested. "It's in everyone's best interest that you are feeling well enough to complete the machine quickly, especially Mikoto's brother." Reason just nodded, already knowing Ipsen was no fool to be deceived.

"I know Ipsen but…I need to do this alone, I need to…" The statement remained unfinished, but Ipsen nodded in understanding.

"I'll go ask Eiko for a potion to help your, er, headache. Then I'll leave you alone to work." The Gaian said, earning a grateful smile.

"I appreciate it."

* * *

"Dagger come on wake up!" Eiko whined jumping up and down. Mikoto giggled beside her finding her cheerfulness contagious. Dagger groaned in annoyance.

"Eiko, it's barely dawn."

"Yeah and brainiac will finish the machine soon so we have to start helping Mikoto now!" With that she moved on to wake Freya and Quina.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Mikoto thought aloud.

"No, it's just what we need." Dagger told her. "Justice hasn't finished yet and we'd only be sat worrying if we didn't do something. Besides, we'll get to have fun!" Mikoto giggled remembering the words she'd told Reason.

"Yeah, fun is definitely what I'm after."

"Eiko! Eiko?" Ipsen asked as he cautiously knocked on the store room door.

"What's up?" Eiko asked opening it and coming out. Luckily for Ipsen the girls hadn't started their clothes search yet.

"Do you have any medicine laying around?"

"What type of medicine? A potion?"

"No…something for a headache, although a potion could turn out to be useful too."

"Well I have plenty of potions and some old medicine of my grandfathers. It's this herb stuff he made into a drink to help his headaches he used to get. I can give you them if you like."

"That would be great, thank you." Eiko nodded and went into the store carefully gathering the herbs.

"Who has a headache?" Mikoto asked concerned.

"Reason, it's why he hasn't finished yet."

"Anything serious?" Dagger asked.

"Probably not."

"Maybe I should go see him." Mikoto began.

"No, don't worry he'll be fine. You lot enjoy yourselves." Ipsen said with a smile as Eiko handed the potion and herbs over.

"Man," Eiko muttered. "Justice with his leather pants and black clothes complaining about a little headache. What a wimp!" Eiko laughed and Dagger couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Mikoto just stood worried, what if it was serious?

"Well he may be a wimp, but with this he will be able to find Zidane faster." Ipsen said causing Dagger to feel guilty.

"True," Eiko admitted. "Tell him e can keep it all in case he needs some later."

"Thank you Eiko. I'll let you get back to your…well; I'll let you get back to it."

* * *

Vivi wondered the village bored. The girls had been shut away in the store cupboard for nearly two hours. Vivi sighed slightly chasing the moogles about half heartedly.

"What's wrong kupo?"

"Just bored I guess." Vivi said shyly. "There's no one to talk to. The girls are doing something together and the others were just talking about battle techniques."

"…What about Justice, kupo?"

"Huh?"

"He's all alone building the machine, kupo. Maybe you should talk to him."

"But…he's scary."

"Not really kupo, just lonely. Just like you once were." Vivi bowed his head in thought and swayed slightly. He remembered when he first saw Justice when he was trapped within Mikoto. He looked so helpless, so desperate to understand himself again. Vivi knew how that felt, knew how it felt to not know yourself.

"Where is he?"

"Near the entrance of the village kupo. He needed a lot of space for his machine

"Yeah I guess so. I'll go talk to him then."

"Good luck, kupo!"

* * *

"We need a foolproof plan for when that maniac has finished his machine!" Steiner yelled impatiently.

"I don't think it's wise to insult our Terran genius. He's our only hope for reaching your future King in time." Ipsen told him.

"Well he's conveniently taking a long time to finish it for such a genius." Amarant put in.

"Are you accusing Reason of purposely wasting time so that we'll be too late?" Ipsen asked with rare anger on his face.

"Um, n-no." Steiner began.

"Yes." Amarant said loudly.

"Even after what you saw happened to him?" Kuja put in.

"That was a long time ago but he's had thousands of years where he was Justice. You can't trust him."

"You're blaming him because he was brainwashed?" Kuja laughed coldly.

"No." Amarant said angrily. "I don't trust him because he's a schizophrenic and we can't risk his other half resurfacing."

"That won't happen, Reason is in control." Ipsen told him firmly.

"How can you be so sure? Just because he got stuck in Mikoto for a while?"

"Yes."

"And why's that?"

"Because it's women he listens to." Kuja said with a chuckle. "First his mother then his sister. Even that psychic that brainwashed him was a woman."

"It's more than that." Ipsen said with a wink. "I believe Mikoto is getting…more than she expected. Reason won't turn on her, he likes her." Amarant scoffed at this.

"Are you saying he will betray his people because he has a crush?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe that!"

"I could." Fratley said with a smirk.

"Me too." Steiner admitted with a slight blush. Amarant just shook his head.

"Let's hope you're right. Better keep an eye on that girl though, if anything happens to her he'll be gone. He has no loyalties with the rest of us."

* * *

"How about this one?" Eiko said with a giggle while holding up a very tight exposing leather top. "You can match each other."

"Um, no thanks…that's a little too revealing. Where did you did these Eiko?"

"Some are from the original tribe here, but the rest are what travelers have left in the past year. Ever since the whole Kuja thing a lot more people have come exploring this continent."

"So what are you looking for Mikoto?" Dagger asked with a smile. "Just something wearable or something a little more…noticeable for a certain Terran."

"There's nothing wrong with a little flirting." Mikoto defended while admiring a short cream coloured skirt. "This fits my idea."

"Tease." Dagger accused with a giggle. Thoughts of Zidane from their journey flirting about came to her and caused her to laugh. She missed him so much, but she had to believe she would get him back. There was no point wondering about it when she couldn't do anything yet, she had done that too often in the past. "Okay then, if you're trying to make him suffer we have to pick the perfect top to match, and we can do something with your hair too…"

* * *

Vivi wandered nervously towards where the Terran was rechecking his machine with shaking hands. Vivi blinked slightly, hearing that the Terran was wheezing.

"Are you okay?" Vivi asked quietly. Reason turned to face him, a surprised look on his face. Suddenly his wheezing subsided and the look of panic disappeared from his eyes. He spoke something in Terran and Vivi could only blink at him. How was he supposed to talk to him when they couldn't understand each other? "Vivi." Vivi said, pointing to himself. The Terran nodded in understanding and pointed a gloved hand at himself.

"Nevan." He said.

"I guess that's Reason in your tongue." Vivi acknowledged, wondering what else he could say.

"Vee Vee?" Reason asked, and Vivi nodded encouragingly. The Terran smiled slightly and then pointed at himself questioningly.

"Oh, we say your name Reason. Reason. Ree son." Vivi emphasised.

"Ree son." Reason nodded and laughed a little, speaking in Terran once more. Vivi found himself moving closer and Reason smiled, beginning to work again on his machine.

"Looks like it's nearly finished." Vivi commented.

" Nearly fished." Reason repeated.

"Fin-ished." Vivi said.The Terran laughed and slotted a final bolt in place before the machine on stand-by, it hummed into life.

"Finished." He agreed.

* * *

"You look perfect!" Eiko announced with a laugh. "I bet Reason won't want you to leave his sight!"

"I think you're exaggerating." Mikoto replied as the girls exited the store cupboard. Dagger just shook her head slightly, absorbed in her own deep thoughts.

"Did you have a good time?" Fratley asked Freya when she sat beside him.

"It was…interesting." She managed.

"Doesn't Mikoto look great? Wait…where's Vivi?" Eiko asked.

"He went to talk to Reason, I believe." Ipsen smiled.

"He did? Vivi? But he never talks to anyone!"

"Neither does Reason." Mikoto told her with a smirk.

"H-hey guys!" Came Vivi's small voice.

"Finished." Reason added, trying to smile but losing it when he saw Amarant's glare.

"Did he just…" Steiner spluttered.

"I've been teaching him a little." Vivi admitted shyly.

"Vivi." Reason said proudly. In his hand was a small device, which he accidentally dropped once setting his gaze on Mikoto.

"What a loser." Amarant snorted, reason blushed as he picked up the device, trying not to look at the short cream skirt and sleeveless pink top.

"Finished." He said again quietly, his accent thick and his head lowered.

"Thank you." Ipsen told him, and then said it in Terran for him to understand the meaning. "And thank you Vivi for making him more welcome."


	28. Terra

A new soul for the angel of death

I won't even bother with excuses, it was mostly from plain lack of inspiration, but all of a sudden it came back! And I apologise in advance for the cliffhanger XX but I promise to try and update this year, lol….that was a joke…I think.

Oh and about the Reason/Justice thing that comes up in this chapter. Let's just say it is the same person, but he still has two personalities, and sometimes he will slip back into the vengeful Justice one.

* * *

**Chapter twenty six: Terra**

"But there's twelve of us Reason! Twelve!" Mikoto yelled, making him wince. It wasn't helping that the Gaians were in wonder at them. Kuja and Ipsen were looking a little more serious though, after all, they could understand the argument taking place.

"I'm not a God Mikoto, I can create a limited machine in the time I was given. It can take eight, no more, no less. I can make sure it will bring Zidane back too, but I can't do anymore than that." Mikoto groaned but didn't argue further. Reason sighed and began to leave the kitchen. "Decide who'd going, I'll be waiting."

The moogles followed him, which he was silently thankful for, but it didn't help to calm his anger. What did she expect? Twelve was a large number and he was given less than a day to reconstruct what had taken him years to develop the first time. She was too wrapped up in her own mission to care.

_Don't be so harsh. _His mind whispered. He sighed. No matter who she was doing this for, it still hurt to be used just as her tool. He had never wanted to be manipulated again.

Yet here he was.

…Damn women.

* * *

Ipsen had taken charge in explaining the situation and calming the anger which followed. It reminded him so much of his previous life that he almost smiled. 

"I know it's inconvenient, but we'll have to make do. Now, who will go?"

"Well _I'm_ going." Eiko announced.

"I must protect the Queen!"

"Whatever."

Ipsen sighed and let out a shrill whistle to grab their attention.

"Let's view it logically." He began. "We need those with power to go, ones other than brute strength. Terra is a planet of magic users and they fear the eidolons above anything else, so the summoners must go."

"But the eidolons are gone." Eiko murmured.

"It doesn't matter, they will still fear you. Besides, your healing abilities may be needed."

"What about yours Ipsen?"

"I can't got to Terra, my soul was originally from there and my appearance may cause a bad effect."

"So Mikoto should stay too?"

"I'm different, I'm a Genome." Mikoto spoke up, still seeming to be angry. "And Reason will be okay because he's already been there, he's _lived _there."

"We can't take him!" Steiner argued.

"He knows magic, and he's the only one who's been there. Plus he is extremely knowledgeable; he must go; no doubt about that." Ipsen said firmly, no arguments allowed.

"That's four." Eiko counted. "And Vivi should come because he's a Black Mage, and Kuja knows magic…"

"I must accompany the Queen!" Steiner burst.

"Well, I guess he can do Magic Sword." Eiko admitted. "So that's seven."

"Everyone else relies on physical attacks." Freya spoke up.

"…Quina performs Blue Magic." Ipsen said. Everyone just stared at him.

* * *

Quina had seen it, s/he knew he had. That funny coloured moogle who had escaped being eated on the mountain path over a year ago. But it wouldn't be so lucky this time. 

It was hiding behind the Terran's leg, letting out desperate 'kupo' pleas to its new master. The Terran frowned and looked at Quina, saying something the Qu didn't understand.

"Young moogle, eat its pompom." He stated, pointing at 'Mog' and licking his lips. The Terran seemed to understand that because he grabbed the moogle and glared while Quina lunged at him.

The Terran was a quick as a Genome and it took Quina a few moments to realise he'd sidestepped his attack and run off towards the village.

"Come back yummy moogle!"

* * *

The group had just begun to exit Eiko's house when they heard Mikoto cry out in surprise and fall to the floor. 

"What's going on now?" Steiner questioned, and then stuttered madly at the sight of the former Terran leader sprawled on top of Mikoto. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Give me yummy!" Came a booming voice above Steiner's and the two squabbling Terrans. At the sound Reason stumbled, red faced, to his feet, Mog clasped tightly within his grip.

"Mog!" Eiko yelled, jumping up and down. "Leave her alone Quina!"

"Po! Po! Kupo kupo!" Mog cried out, struggling in Reason's grip to get away.

"What's she saying EIko?" Vivi asked.

"S-she…" Eiko whispered, not able to finish. She'd turned deathly pale.

"Please Quina of the Qu Clan, that moogle is of great importance, she can't be your meal." Ipsen spoke patiently. "Please have this delicacy instead."

"But that's…" Dagger began.

"Yummy!" Quina yelled, already swallowing it. thirty seconds later the Qu slumped to the ground unconscious.

"…I thought you wanted him to come." Dagger pointed out. Ipsen just gave a sheepish smile.

"We'll have to cope without I'm afraid. That moogle is of great importance and I can't allow Quina to consume it."

Said moogle had now finally escaped its master grasp and had fluttered into Eiko's house. The Terran leader watched with an unreadable expression before turning to Ipsen and speaking.

"He says the machine is ready to transport us." Ipsen translated.

"But who's going instead of Quina?" Freya asked." The rest of us mostly rely on attack techniques."

"Madeen." Reason suddenly spoke up, looking directly at Dagger.

"Pardon?"

"He wants to take the moogle." Mikoto told her. "It's a Terran soul, she can do magic."

"How come she's still here?" Eiko suddenly burst out. "All the eidolons are gone so why is she still here? Why did he _protect_ her? Is she really…"

"Please be clam Lady Eiko." Ipsen said softly. "What you heard her speak is true, but it does not change the personality of the 'Mog' you grew up with."

"We don't have time for this!" Steiner burst. "We must go rescue Zidane."

* * *

_She heard you._ Reason spoke softly to the moogle as they made their way to the machine. _It was foolish of you._

"Kupo." She responded tiredly. Reason just smirked and patted her head.

"Is she okay?" Mikoto asked; Reason just nodded refusing to look at the genome.

"…I couldn't hurt her Mikoto, I couldn't."

"What about your parents?" He grimaced in response.

Their conversation was ended by Steiner's voice shouting at them, though what he was saying Reason could only guess.

"Does he always have to speak at such a loud volume?" He complained.

"He wants you to start the machine." Mikoto told him. "At least he hasn't started jumping up and down yet."

Reason sighed, glancing one last time at 'Mog' before moving past Steiner to the machine.

"Are you sure you can help us find Zidane?" Mikoto asked. "You're the only one who knew Terra before the population's death, only you will know the way."

"There's only one place Garland can forcefully have the Destructive soul enter your brother." He said, not glancing up to see the flinch he knew his words would cause. "And I know it well; it was my lab after all."

"Of course." She replied somewhat bitterly, moving away to talk to the Gaian Queen. Reason took a moment to sigh, stroke 'Mog' for reassurance before he turned on the machine.

He just hoped the others were ready for what would come next.

* * *

Dagger woke and instantly felt her stomach lurch. What happened? All she remembered was a sudden light and the feeling of being sucked through a portal… 

"Did it work?" She managed to say, and was instantly greeted with a loud cry of relief.

"My Queen! I was beginning to think…" Steiner began but was interrupted by an angry sounding Eiko.

"That idiot messed up Dagger! He isn't here and neither is Vivi! We're stuck on Terra without a guide!"

Dagger sat up at this, forgetting Eiko's words a moment due to the sight that greeted her. This Terra…it was unlike the one Kuja had destroyed…it reminded her vaguely of the Industrial District in Lindblum, only much more complex.

"Reason doesn't make mistakes." Mikoto muttered, not sounding too calm either. "He has to be around here somewhere…"

"I knew we couldn't trust that traitor!" Steiner burst again. "When I find that good for nothing…"

"Um, h-hi." A shy voice interrupted. Dagger turned her head enough to see Vivi heading towards them, Reason a little behind him.

"Vivi, where have been?" Eiko demanded, hands on hips.

"Reason wanted me to help him with something while you were still asleep." Vivi told them, but would say no more about it.

"You!" Steiner exploded as Reason reached them, grabbing him around the neck. "You left the Queen with no able protection? You scum!"

"If you kill him we won't be able to get back." Mikoto pointed out, "Or find your future King."

"Or reveal the miraculous cure for your corroded armour." Reason added.

"I don't…y-you…" Steiner stuttered, shaking with fury.

"You can understand us?" Eiko asked, blinking stupidly. "So you _do_ know Gaian."

Reason just smiled a little and shook his head, moving to help the still sitting Dagger up. Mikoto glared at his back.

"I don't know how either." Vivi began. "But it had something to do with this place."

"The boundaries of language has temporarily been removed, in this recreated Terra I speak ancient Terran while you hear Gaian. The reverse is also in effect when I hear you." Reason explained, no hint of an accent in his voice.

"Reason?" A soft voice asked, startling EIko as she realised it was Mog. "Why here?"

"Patience." Reason said softly. "It's better to go this way rather than to the house. You remember what happened there."

'Mog' bowed her head, allowed the Terran to stroke her soothingly before lifting in the air and wandering towards the nearest building.

"What is she doing?" Eiko asked.

"You'll see soon enough." Reason told her.

"…So we can understand anything or anyone?" Dagger asked, Reason just grinned as though he were at a festival.

"Amazing isn't it?" He ignored Eiko, who was laughing at his sudden excitement. "Just think of it! If you stay here long enough you can begin to hear the plant life whispering, and then the memory of the planet itself!"

"There is no time for you flights of fancy!" Steiner interrupted. "We must rescue Destruction!"

A shocked silence followed this statement, but was soon ended by an angry Eiko.

"Why did you call Destruction that, I…" She stopped frowning. "What's going on! Why can't I say his name?"

"Like I said, there is no language barrier; the genome's name was just ancient Terran for Destruction; so you now hear it in its true form. The same will be true for her name." Reason said, indicating Mikoto.

"And me." Kuja added. "My name means Pain in Terran." Eiko just nodded, waiting for Mikoto to say something, which she didn't. Eiko sighed in annoyance, but decided to try and speak Mikoto herself to see what it translated to.

"Saviour."

Mikoto glared at her, surprising everyone except Reason.

"Just don't speak my name here." Mikoto commanded, Reason snorted at this.

"Bad memories?" He taunted.

"You're one to talk _Justice_!" She seethed, turning her back on him. "Are we leaving now? I want to save my brother."

Dagger blinked in surprise, not sure how to take this new side of Mikoto. _I wonder what bad memories he meant. I guess he must have seen them when he was sharing her body…but why would it make her hate her name meaning? _

"We have to wait for Meaning to come back." Reason said quietly, and Dagger could hear the slight hurt present in his voice.

"Meaning? So she is you sister." Eiko breathed. "So Mog and Madeen and Meaning are all the same person?" Reason just nodded. "So why wasn't she sealed away with the other eidolons?"

"Because I was the one sealing them." Was all he said, and he would say no more of it.

"REASON!" The moogle suddenly yelled, flying towards them and carrying a large stick. A bag was on her back too, but before Dagger could imagine what was in it the moogle spoke again. "They're coming!"

"Terrific." Reason sighed, gritting his teeth in annoyance. "Which direction?"

"From the house." The moogle squeaked. "They must have seen you and Vivi earlier…"

"Well that's something, they aren't blocking the way. But if they attack now…" Reason thought out loud, biting his lip slightly. A moment later he nodded to himself glancing a moment at Mikoto before turning back to the moogle. "Give me the bag and my weapon Meaning. I need you to show them the way to the lab. I'll stall them as long as I can."

"Reason…" Mikoto began.

"Do you want to save your brother?" Reason snapped at her, making her flinch. "More than anything? Then you better go now, or it will be too late for everyone."

"Thank you." Dagger told him, seeing that Mikoto wasn't going to. She was too busy staring at him with a mixture of shock, regret, thankfulness and anger.

"Good luck to you worthy Queen." He said with a smile before turning around to face the direction the Terrans would be coming. It seemed the moogle knew arguing would be useless as she passed over the items and grudgingly began to fly away from her brother, leading the others closer to their captured friend.

* * *

Garland grinned as he looked at the mess the Vantresca household was now in. Reason had come back here for something, and he had not been alone. 

"Sir, we've spotted Justice and are engaging him in battle, no one else is with him." One Terran reported, one who used to be on the council so long ago.

"They're here, trying to save their friend." Garland smirked. "But they're reach him too late, let us go deal with Justice and allow them a…reunion."

Order bowed slightly in understanding before leading the way to where Reason was fighting. Garland grinned again, pulling out his gun as he walked.

* * *

The lab building was hard to miss once it came into view, and Mikoto increased her speed in order to stop any thoughts entering her mind. 

_I can't believe this. Zidane will be saved, he'll actually be saved. But Reason…he can't fight off the entire population alone. I'm sacrificing his life for my brothers…and it hurts. _

"There's someone coming!" Eiko yelled, Mikoto cursed as she looked behind her, seeing some figures in the distance. "We have to get to him fast!"

"In there, go down to the basement, he'll be there." 'Mog' told them. "I'll hold them off for you." Mikoto nodded and swallowed her lump. _Now his sister is risking her life…_

"Thank you." She whispered before following the others into the building.

_Please after all this; let us not be too late. _

Reason gritted his teeth in pain as a fire spell hit him in the side. He'd been battling them for ten minutes now, using his stick to heighten his magic through and hit a large portion of them each time. At times he'd physically attacked them, dodging their magic attacks. But there was so many, too many to dodge…and he was growing tired.

He had run out of MP.

And so he was back to dodging, because the Terrans were smart enough to stay out of striking range of his weapon.

He wouldn't last much longer.

"Arrgh!" He cried out as a powerful fire spell hit him in the back, causing him to nearly collapse. He turned and glared at the one who'd thrown it.

"How the mighty fall." Order chuckled, his arms still poised out in front of him from the fire attack he'd cast. "Perhaps Garland will arrive too late and you'll die without his new weapon's help."

Justice glared up at him, using his stick for support but beginning to lightly tap the ground with it.

"HIS weapon? You ignorant fool, I created that weapon! I created HIM! I made all that is happening possible! You should not underestimate me so easily; but then again, you always were too stupid to comprehend such obvious facts." And with that said, he tapped the ground harder, sending out a shockwave that knocked all nearby Terran's off their feet.

True, he had no more MP, but after having his spirit living for so long his magic was stronger than most, and he could call on it by using a little of his own life energy if needed.

If he was going to die at the hands of these idiots, he might as well make it as painful and annoying for them as much as he could.

He went after Order, naturally. No one else here was worth the effort, and Order was the only one he'd bothered to remember because of his position in the council. The council were the reason he had become Justice in the first place, and no matter for much he wanted it, part of him always would be. But then…that fact came in use at times. Such as now.

It was lucky Mikoto wasn't here to witness what he was about to do. It would only make her hate him more.

"Now who's the one who's fallen?" Justice smirked, using his spiked boots to kick Order on the floor. The council member cried out in pain, causing an evil grin to appear on his torturer's face.

Revenge always felt so deeply satisfying.

"Stop." Order whispered desperately, but was ignored as justice pinned his chest down with one foot, and used the other to drive his boot into the Terran's skull.

It was almost a pity a mere memory of Order couldn't really die, but it could certainly feel pain. And the blood looked real enough.

* * *

Dagger, despite Steiner's protests, was the first to enter the basement of the high tech building. She screwed up her eyes at the darkness, immediately noticing the bright blue light coming from the other side of the room. The blue light so common on the other Terra, the one which had been contained in the tubes full of Genome vessels there. 

This was no different.

"Destruction!" Dagger called out, running to the glass tube which contained her fiancée. She heard some of the others gasp behind her, but ignored them and focused on the sight before her.

Zidane was enclosed within the liquid in the tube, almost appearing to be floating within it. His eyes were closed, his face wearing a peaceful expression, as though nothing could ever touch him. Yet from his body many tubes were attached, some substance clearly entering it his body. That must be the Destructive soul entering…

"We have to stop the soul entering from before it's complete. Quick! We have to disconnect the tubes." Mikoto told them, beginning to move forward.

That's when they heard the loud bang.

And unknown to them, that's when the last drop of the Destructive soul entered the Genome's body…

* * *

Justice was glancing down at his handiwork when he heard the footsteps. He sighed slightly, suddenly feeling more like Reason again. So tried, and so fed up of what had become of everything. 

He had never planned for things to become like this. So many died, so many lives lost.

…His whole family betraying him, abandoning him because of what he would become, what he was now.

Had it been his destiny all along to end this way? He had tried so many times to escape his fate…perhaps it had always meant to be this way.

"Aren't you going to turn and face your end, master?" Garland smirked, aiming the gun. Reason sighed again and slowly turned, using his stick once again to support himself. At least the contents in the bag would be safe, he had taken care of that earlier…Garland wouldn't get them.

"Sorry to disappoint you Garland, but you won't find it. I would never tell you, no one else knows, and even if you kill me you won't find it. The one who originally brought us all back will never complete his plan, and they will stop him again."

Garland just snarled, but soon smirked, once again aiming the gun.

"I don't need you anymore, Destruction has been awoken; he will find what we need."

Reason only had a moment to feel the despair and regret that consumed him before the trigger was pulled.

_I'm sorry Mikoto. _

* * *

"What was that?" Eiko asked nervously. Mikoto could only shake her head, already guessing what had caused the loud noise. 

"Reason." She choked out, heading towards the basement exit. She stopped, however, when she heard a loud _crack_ echo throughout the room.

They all turned to see the Genome's eyes wide open.


	29. Destruction

A new soul for the angel of death

Yes, I live! And this story lives! Shocking, isn't it? There's no excuse, other than lack of inspiration. I have been mostly concentrating on my original novel/s and neglected my fics. Sorry! I suddenly got inspired to write again one day at work. I haven't had time yet to re-read the fic myself and check that this doesn't clash with anything written earlier. Also I haven't had time to check with the game whether the theory of the crystal would make sense, but please bear with me for now until I can make sure.

Anyway, I'll try to give a brief summary of the story so far, seen as it's been so long. It should be enough for the chapter to make sense.

Summary: Garland has returned, having been revived by an unknown 'master'. With him he has revived the souls of the original Terran souls, who have been placed in the genome bodies. He kidnaps Zidane, planning to put in the destructive soul once in Kuja, use him to destroy Gaia, revive Terra and gain absolute power for his new master. Before he is taken Zidane reveals to his friends that Kuja's soul was not completely destroyed, because before he died he shared some of his blood with him, so that his eternal soul's power was given a little to him (if that makes sense). Zidane communicates with his brother where he is told that his friends must head to Oeilvert to 'summon' kuja once Zidane is taken.

At the black mage village Vivi shows Zidane the farm he has created in order to keep the mages alive. He uses creatures of mist, breeds them and then uses machines to suck out the mist in them, which kills them. When they leave they discover the mist has once again spread on the planet Gaia.

Zidane is then taken to the Summoner's village, where Garland intends to keep him a few days before transporting to Terra (currently a memory of Terra as it once was). He has also stolen the invincible. Dagger and the others reach Oeilvert on Bahamut. They summon Kuja, who then leads them to Ipsen's castle, where they meet Ipsen himself, once king of the forgotten continent but now guardian and chooser of the eidolons.

Meanwhile Zidane meets Justice, the Terran soul that has taken over Mikoto's body. He was once the head of the terran council and created the invincible, Garland and the time stop which stopped Terran's time flowing. He tried to stop the planet Terra from killing its occupants but couldn't, instead designing the genomes to one day take over. He performs a ritual to place the eidolons in a dormant sleep so they can't be used against them. Zidane then casts a spell on him, merging his and Mikoto's mind which will eventually kill him the way he originally did.

Ipsen leads Dagger and co. back to Oeilvert to teleport them to Madain Sari, but they arrive too late to rescue Zidane, who has already left for Terra. They find Justice and save his life, reviving his old body so he and Mikoto are separate. Mikoto, having shared his mind, now has the body and mind of a nineteen year old. Justice through their connection re-lived his life before the council took control of him and remembered his family, his father, mother and sister who all became eidolons. His sister is Mog/Madeen and has stayed by him.

Justice agrees to help them save Zidane, and once again takes up his original name, Reason. He builds a teleport to transport some of the team to Terra. It becomes obvious he has a crush on Mikoto and she uses this to help him agree to come with them, because he's the only one who knows what the original Terra looked like.

They enter Terra and find there is no language barrier there, so Reason can be understood by the others. Zidane's name, meaning Destruction in ancient Terran, come only spoke as such. Same with Mikoto and Kuja, who are saviour and Pain.

Reason tells Madeen to direct Dagger to the lab where Zidane is being held, the destructive soul being forced to enter his body. Reason stays behind to fight the terrans. Garland shows up and mentions wanting something from reason, who says only he will never get it, Meaning (his sister) having already taking it safely away. He is then shot by Garland. Dagger and co. enter the lab and see Zidane in a tube. When they hear the gun shot they don't notice Zidane's eyes open. They hear a crack as the glass tube begins to break…

Also, Reason's name translates to Nevan in ancient Terran, which is mentioned in this chapter. Hope you enjoy! And again, I'm really sorry!

* * *

Destruction

There are times when a heavy, silent impending atmosphere should be observed quietly. But then again, in such most moments, Eiko Carol isn't usually present.

"…Is this a good thing?" She asked the silent room, all now staring at Zidane's form as the glass tube continued to crack. His eyes were open yet had a blank expression to them, not yet looking at the world around them or the people in it.

"No." Mikoto breathed, pointing out the now empty container the tubes were connected to. "The Destructive soul has fully entered his body…"

Anything else said was lost as the tube completely shattered causing the room's occupants to turn in order to protect their eyes from the flying glass. Pained gasps escaped them as minor cuts were made but otherwise they remained quiet. Waiting…

They could only wait to see what would happen next.

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Mog/ Meaning/ Madeen was growing weary of fighting off the Terrans. Casting Terra Homing over and over was draining. It was proving pointless as those that fell were quickly replaced with more. If there were this many after her then her brother…

And that's when she heard the shot.

_NO!_

…So this was the reason he'd made her leave. He died alone, she couldn't be there to save him.

_No! I won__'__t believe it until I see it!_

Rage built up within her, causing her final Terra Homing attack to render all the Terrans unconscious. No more were in sight, and without a second thought she left (still in summon form) towards where she'd last seen her brother.

Garland was nowhere in sight when she arrived at the scene, nor were the Terrans who had been previously sprawled out on the floor. But her brother was clearly there, lying on his back, unmoving. A pool of blood surrounding him.

_No!_

She rushed over to his side, taking the form of her original body, his sister.

"Please Reason." She sobbed, shaking him. "It's not supposed to end this way. I-I was supposed to protect you…"

She stopped, a new determination running through her veins. She had promised to protect, both herself and their parents. She had stayed with him for so long…and now she wasn't going to give up. she had to save him somehow.

_He__'__s come back before__…_

But this time was different…he couldn't become and eidolon like the rest of the family, his other nature as Justice prevented that possibility. The fact he was the only one who could now help Zidane come back…

He couldn't be dead; he had yet to fulfil his destiny. The destiny which his life had been leading him to.

_I have to save him__…__somehow. _

A loud explosion drew her attention in the direction of the lab, the one she'd led the Gaians to. With a heavy but determined sigh she transformed back into her summon form, picked up her brother and turned her back on the people she was told to protect.

Without her brother they would be lost anyway. They had to survive this without her.

After all, she wasn't the only eidolon around…

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The soft sound of crunching glass was all that echoed through the room. Crunching glass as it was walked over with bare feet. Dagger slowly turned her head to gaze at the figure walking towards them and gasped. It may have looked like her beloved, but it wasn't Zidane anymore.

His hair was wet from the liquid he'd been contained in, but this didn't seem to bother him. Neither did the shocked gazes focused on him. He'd didn't acknowledge that they were there, just gazed about the room in a bored fashion.

"So, my rebirth takes place where I was originally created. How fitting." He spoke, sounding rather bored. The tone caused a chill to run through her heart. This was not her Zidane anymore, this was Destruction. "Master Garland seems to have remained old-fashioned in his ways."

"D-Destruction?" Eiko stammered out, having wished to ask for Zidane. Destruction's gaze fell on her and a cold smirk crossed the once care-free thief's features.

"A summoner." He grinned, beginning to move forwards. Two steps later his path was blocked and an amused look took residence on his face. "Pain, what are you doing here? Your soul should be no more."

"Not everyone is as cold as you Destruction, my brother saved me, and I'll save him from you!" The flare attack was instant, and Dagger had to shield her eyes from the intense light. However, its target merely smirked, an automatic shell barrier that seemed impenetrable surrounding him.

"How disappointing. I have yet to gain the strength to use my full power, yet even now you can't harm me. I wanted some kind of challenge with my mission." Destruction sighed. "Last time your brother interfered. I almost miss his rudeness of imposing." With that his eyes narrowed, one hand raising and making a sweeping motion. Kuja was instantly thrown back, knocking into Eiko.

"You fiend!" Steiner shouted, raising his sword with a fire spell being cast upon it. Destruction didn't even blink as it made contact with his barrier. His eyes narrowed again, showing anger instead of boredom. His gaze was now on Vivi.

"Despicable creature of mist." Destruction spat out. "One who would create a farm of monsters and suck them dry to stay alive. Torturer. You have no honour." Dagger saw young Vivi shaking from the words, unable to act or defend himself as Destruction prepared to attack.

"Stop!" Dagger yelled, climbing to her feet and grabbing one of Destruction's arms. "Please don't do this! Don't you recognise him as your friend? Don't you care anymore?"

A dark chuckle broke out, echoing through the room, but it wasn't one from Destruction.

"My poor Sarah, why so distressed? Your beloved is no more, there's no point in clinging to the body he once had, not unless you want to get hurt." Garland laughed as he descended the stairs into the room.

"Master." Destruction acknowledged. Garland grinned at the title, his gaze still fixed on Dagger.

"Perhaps you should demonstrate what I mean Destruction." Destruction smirked. Dagger felt a searing pain across her arm. She backed away, staring at her wounded arm in horror.

"N-no."

"I have no trouble hurting you, or any of his other 'friends'. The genome you once knew is dead."

"Summon me." Kuja whispered to Eiko, who was attempting to climb off him.

"W-what?"

"Now! Before he kills her!"

"Did you kill Reason?" Mikoto spoke to Garland, noticing Eiko stand. "Did you betray your creator and your orders?"

"He betrayed is own orders. That fool was no leader, he only allowed himself to be manipulated by women. Even by you Saviour. He died the moment you sunk your claws into him. I guess you were useful after all, now I will lead the destruction of Gaia and my new master will rule all."

"And who is this master?" Dagger asked. "Why are they bringing back Terra and trying to destroy the eidolons?"

"If you wanted answers you should have asked Justice before using him as a disposable pawn. The boy was rather clever after all."

"I'll never forgive you for him." Mikoto spat, tears in her eyes. Garland just smirked.

"If that's how you feel then you're the one who betrayed him the most. Destruction, finish this."

"I don't think so!" Eiko yelled, blowing on her flute. Kuja began to glow a pure white, making everyone's eyes close. A roar tore through the room as a white dragon formed, standing between them. Garland frowned in distaste. Destruction's expression remained the same, unworried.

"That won't overpower us for long Pain. You're already desperate in this war."

"Let's go!" Eiko screamed, bringing the others back to their senses. Dagger felt Steiner pull on her good arm, leading her away.

_Zidane._ She thought, gazing one last time at the monster now in control of his body before they were out of sight.

They ran blindly, not sure where the place they had entered was. They just knew they had to get away. There was no way they could win this.

"Which way is it?" Eiko asked, out of breath. No one answered.

"This way." Mikoto suddenly spoke up. "Pain will lead us." No one questioned it. The dragon appeared above, whatever summon attack it possessed now stalling the enemy. They picked speed, realising they would soon be followed.

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"Are we not chasing them master?" Destruction asked in his usual bored tone. Kuja's summon attack had done no damage to him, his magic protecting him. "It could be entertaining."

"Justice is dead, the summons are gone. They're no threat to us now." Garland said, wincing. Unlike Destruction he had been damaged by the attack. "Not even the White Dragon will change that. Besides, it is more important you gain your full strength. The master will decide if he wants us to kill them."

Destruction hummed in agreement, wiping at his hair.

"I think I'll go change then."

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After they had gone through the portal Dagger had lost consciousness. The first thing she was next aware of was a fuzzy face peering down at her.

"Are you okay? You've been injured." Freya spoke, helping her sit up. Dagger gazed down at her arm, drowning in the memory of her once beloved Zidane hurting her.

"I'm fine." She said. "It can be easily healed. _On the outside._ She added silently. "Did everyone else make it back okay?"

"Well…perhaps you should come see for yourself."

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Mikoto could only sit on a chair beside the bed, gazing at the still form of the Terran. Ipsen was kneeling over him, pouring his healing powers into the body, but so far with no success.

So…this was the sacrifice she made to save her brother, and in the end she failed at even that.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, both to the body and the moogle also beside it. "I should have never forced you to help, I…" She stopped, placing her head in her hands.

Ipsen sighed as he paused in his efforts. It was difficult. Bringing back the dead was hard enough (and often wrong) but reason had already died once before…

There was only one option, but Ipsen wasn't sure if it was wise.

"Mikoto." He began. She shook her head, refusing to hear his words. "…Do you believe in him? Do you believe his heart can stay pure?"

"What?" She blinked.

"Do you believe he will remain Reason and no longer be Justice?"

"He just _died_ to help us! He went up against everything he knew in order to prove he's Reason. I could never doubt him now…I just wish I'd told him that."

Overwhelmed with grief she didn't notice the look passed between Ipsen and Meaning or his final nod of acceptance.

"You know about the crystal of life, do you not?" He asked as Meaning left the room. "That if destroyed all life will end?"

"…Yes. Kuja tried to destroy it when he was dying."

"Originally it wasn't a whole crystal, but thousands of pieces. As the world changed so did the crystal, forming into one so that all life could be seen."

"…That makes no sense."

"It doesn't matter. The point is there were some pieces that did not form into the crystal. The larger ones that didn't were what helped formed planets. There is another that helps control the cycle of souls."

"The Iifa tree?"

"Yes. The summoners also possessed one, cutting it into four and using it to summon eidolons before it became part of their nature. On Terra, once the planet was dying, Meaning found the planet's crystal and chipped part of it away, leaving her with a stone containing the power of life. If one of pure soul is in need of it, wishes for it, they will acquire it."

Meaning fluttered back into the room, holding a little wooden box.

"You mean..?"

"Let us find out whether Reason truly wants to live on. He would still prove a great ally in our cause."

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"I wonder how she's coping." Dagger whispered, standing outside the door Reason's body was in. "I think she really liked him."

"It is unfortunate, but we must not let his death affect us. We must become stronger to fight against Destruction." Steiner insisted. The idea of fighting _him _made Dagger shiver.

"We need something to fight him." Freya broke in. "We alone won't be able to win."

"We'll gather the Queen's army!" Steiner yelled.

"First we need to stabilise the nation's power." Freya sighed. "Burmecia is still in need of guidance. Fratley and I must return soon." This caused everyone to fall silent. "I wish I could aid you in helping Zidane, but…"

"It's alright." Dagger spoke. "By helping your people you're helping more than any of us have so far. Thank you Freya. I promise we'll save him. Steiner, I want you to return to Alexandria and prepare our people."

"But…"

"That's an order. I'll be fine with the others. I can't go back yet, not without Zidane. I'm sorry."

"…As you wish, my Queen."

"Don't worry, I'll look after her!" Eiko told him.

"I-I'll help too." Vivi muttered. Kuja just shrugged.

"I don't have much choice, Eiko's my summoner now."

Anything Dagger was about to say was drowned out by a delighted Mikoto screaming out:

"Nevan!"

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He had heard their voices. His mother, his father, ones he didn't recognise. All were saying the same thing.

_Save us. Free us._

And then he felt something as though life itself was once again in his grasp. It didn't feel like last time, it wasn't cold of painful, being forcefully wrenched into a genome body. No, this was waiting patiently, asking him what he wished for.

"I need to help." He said. "I need to fix what I've done. Please let me live."

_Then it is done._ A voice spoke. He couldn't tell whether it were male or female.

He opened his eyes slowly, groaning a the ache in his chest. He frowned, noticing the necklace he now wore, one with a small red jewel on its end.

"Reason!" Mikoto yelled, grabbing him and squeezing. Despite the lack of air he didn't have the will to make her stop. "Thank goodness."

"I'm really alive?"

"Thank you. Thank you for everything. And I'm sorry I forced you to go! I'm sorry!"

"I'm glad you did." He smirked. "I got to do something good for once, and I intend to help you now until the end."

The door opened as Dagger came in, smiling at seeing the Terran alive.

"Is he okay?" She asked Mikoto.

"He'll be fine. And now we can actually do something to save my brother."

"But what?" Mikoto turned back to Reason, talking to him a moment before answering.

"We have to awaken the eidolons."

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Destruction gave himself an approving nod at the clothes he was now wearing. He had enjoyed silver when he was one with Kuja, now he preferred green. It had proved too hard to part with shimmering clothing though. He now wore a long green shirt, and trousers much like the ones Zidane wore as a thief. The boots were black and no weapon was visible. He didn't depend on barbaric daggers or swords.

"Already I feel my power growing." He smiled, gazing at his hand. "This boy's power…Kuja could never hope to know it." He sighed and sat, letting his mind relax.

_Garland wishes me to wait? I'll show him soon enough. And that girl._ He winced a little, a sudden pain in his chest. He ignored it, his eyes closed and relaxed.

It took him a good ten minutes to realise he had been humming.

He had been humming _their_ song.


End file.
